Slayers: A Spaghetti Western
by J.Rhaye
Summary: Zel's on a quest for revenge. When the dust settles, who will be left standing? A classic western, and then some... Slayers style! Canon couples. COMPLETE
1. Act 1

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

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**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 1**

_Prologue_

Screams filled the air, and he couldn't quite tell if they were his or his family's, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that it must have been the animals, caught in the burning barn. His own groans were punctuated with coughs as he breathed in the dust and smoke from the fire raging out of control nearby. Also, making him want to gag was the stench of burnt flesh that seemed to hang about him. Through bleary eyes, he could barely make out a man's silhouette against the dancing red-orange flames. The haunting jingle of his spurs floated through the smoke.

That man was the one who had ordered two of the men to take his mother back behind the shed. That man was the one who had knocked him into the fire when he tried to stop the other men from beating his father. That man was the one who walked around with that black Colt revolver with the long ivory handle and shot the prone forms of his parents as they lay battered and bleeding on the cold dirt. That man was the one who had left the boy for dead.

The boy pushed himself to his knees, gritting his teeth against the pain in his burnt palms, trying to ignore the flaps of what could only be charred skin hovering around the corners of his vision. If he were to die, it would be standing on his own two feet, fighting this bastard who took away his life and his family. Slowly, painfully, he stood, wheezing and coughing as he fought for a breath. He looked at the ground where he had fallen, surprised that he was still alive. A glint of metal caught his eye, and he realized with a start, that it was his father's gun, half buried under the water barrel with the leak that had inadvertently saved the boy's life. He had been within inches of his parent's salvation and did not realize it. 

The hot wind picked up, and the boy's vision wavered. He was going to pass out and die in the dirt without doing anything to avenge his family. As he fell, he glanced up and saw that the man responsible for everything was gone. He hit the ground, and Zelgadiss' last thoughts were of that haunting jingle of spurs and that ivory-handled black Colt.

************************

_Seven years later._

Amelia Seyruun cast a nervous look over the dark horizon where the moon was sinking behind the hills. In another hour or so, the sun would be making its presence known behind her to the east. She had awakened earlier than usual, and had not been able to go back to sleep, so she went outside for a breath of fresh air. It was always a little strange whenever her father was not in town, but since he became a federal Marshall, she was getting used to it; at the moment, he was tending to some "official" business in Fort Laramie a few days travel away. Miss Lina and Mister Gourry were out of town, too, tracking down a bounty who was spotted somewhere near Sage Creek, but they were due back any day now. She had received a post from her friends just yesterday to let her know that they were coming back home, but did not indicate whether or not they had caught their mark.

She shivered, pulling her shawl tighter around her form before going back inside. Turning to her morning routine, she poked the embers in the hearth before piling a couple of small logs on top, and in a few minutes, a cheering fire began to warm the common room. She then turned her attention to breakfast. There were only two boarders at the moment, and normally she wouldn't have to cook very much, but lately, it seemed that more and more young men came to eat their meals at her inn, so she decided to cook what she normally did. Biscuits, ham, eggs, and coffee was the regular morning fare; lunch was usually beef stew (or whatever soup she happened to make that day) and bread; fancy cooking was saved for dinner.

With barely enough time to get dressed and eat some breakfast of her own, she was ready to serve the first few customers who walked in the door: James and Bob, of course. They were two sons of a local rancher, and had, when Amelia was younger, pushed her into the pigpen after church and absolutely ruined her Sunday dress. The second she turned sixteen, though, they became sweet as sugar to her and were always coming in to eat. Amelia never forgot the incident, but continued to take their money and feed them, not once falling for the sweet talk they tried to pour on her.

"Morning, boys," she said brightly, handing each of them a cup of coffee as they sat down at what they considered to be "their table" in the dining room. She flipped her shoulder-length black hair back as she put on her apron.

"Mornin' Miss Amelia," they said, trying to sit up taller. 

"So where are you off to today?" she asked. Her large azure eyes took in their gear and knew that they would be taking the cattle out again.

Without being asked, they un-holstered their pistols and handed them to the girl. 

"We're going up past George's bend," James said. "I think we might be back sometime next week."

Bob argued, "That's not what pa said. We'll be back by Saturday."

"Shows how much you listen…"

While they argued, she went behind her counter and placed the guns in a specially made gun rack that already held two shotguns and a revolver (her own shotgun and the guns of the two tenants.) She closed the cabinet and locked it with a key she kept on a chain around her neck.

"Do you want the usual?" she interrupted, tired of their bickering. Not waiting for an answer (because the only things to eat were what she had already prepared), she disappeared into the kitchen. She fixed a plate for each and returned to serve the two boys, trying to ignore the fact that their eyes were anywhere but on her face when they looked at her. As they paid her, she heard steps coming down the stairs, and she turned her attention on her other guests.

"Morning, sirs! I hope you had a restful night. Would you like some coffee with your breakfast?" she asked cheerfully.

The taller gentleman nodded with a smile and allowed the shorter man (although Amelia was certain "he" was actually a woman in disguise) to lead him to one of the tables. The tall man was not old, nor frail, but he was unmistakably blind. When they had first arrived a couple of days ago, Amelia had thought that he would need special attention or wouldn't be able to manage the steps, but Mister Rezo proved her wrong. With only minor help from Eris, his companion, he went about town as if he had lived here all his life. The strange thing was that he wore spurs, even though they arrived in town by coach.

"Here, you go," she said placing a plate of food before each one and pouring two cups of coffee. "It's the usual breakfast. Let me know if I can get you anything else."

"Thank you, Miss Amelia."

"I trust our weapons are still where they should be?" Eris asked as always.

"Of course, Mister Eris. Just let me know when you'll need them."

Nodding their approval, they set to eating.

It was strange that they should be so concerned about their guns. It was a rule of hers, posted on a sign right outside the door, that no weapons are allowed in her establishment. All weapons were to be surrendered to the innkeeper, and would be returned when the patron left. No one had ever had a problem with her rule before. There were some who put up a fuss, but in the end, complied with her wishes. These two people, though, were different.

The shotgun was like any other, but the revolver was unique. She had never before seen a black-barreled Colt with an ivory handle. Maybe it was because of this, that she could understand their wariness. If anyone else knew that it was in the case, they may be tempted to kill this poor blind man for it. Well, at least they were leaving today, continuing on west to start their own practice: opening a doctor's office in San Francisco.

Such a noble cause lifted the girl's heart and almost made her reduce the cost of their stay. Almost. The thought of Miss Lina coming back and finding out that she had done such a thing scared the charity right out of her.

The ringing bell on the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to happily greet the newcomers. Soon, her dining room was full of patrons, many wanting a nice hot meal before the long work of the day was upon them. There were cowhands and landowners, travelers and townspeople. She bustled back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, cooking more food and taking more orders. Over the course of the next couple of hours, the gun cabinet filled and emptied until the only gun left was the old shotgun that her father insisted she keep, and her cash-box was pleasantly full.

"I wish you luck on your journey and all your endeavors!" she waved to the stagecoach across the street where the depot was located. Mister Rezo turned his head in her direction, and smiled.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Amelia. I will remember your generosity."

With a tip of his hat and the jingle of spurs, which he still wore despite the fact that he did not ride a horse, he stepped into the stagecoach. Eris waved back, and followed the doctor into the coach. Maxwell, the old grizzled driver, tipped his hat to Amelia as well, and then shook the reins to signal the horses. The stage lurched forward, and it was on its way to distant San Francisco.

**********************

He couldn't realize his horrible luck. He had been delayed a week all the way back in Carson City because of the incident with that Indian Agent, and now he had missed his prey. He should have just ridden straight through, but he knew that if he did, hundreds of people, both Indian and white alike, would have been killed needlessly. The only reason the agent listened to him at all was because he was the one who warned him of the fact that those settlers were on sacred ground, and that if they did not relocate, a war would begin.

Throwing a rock into a nearby stream, he stood slowly, and looked at his reflection in the water. Disgusted, he pulled his kerchief back over his nose, covering the lower half of his face, and tugged his hat lower until only his eyes were visible. With a morbid sense of humor, he took pleasure in the fact that he looked dark and mysterious, someone not to be trifled with. He wore a plain shirt, tan pants, and black boots, but his light brown leather duster appeared to have withstood a lot more than just travel. Twin revolvers were strapped to either leg, and it was clear by the lazy way his gloved hands adjusted them that their presence was not only familiar but that he was also comfortable with them.

"Come on. If we hurry, we can probably catch up to him in the next town," he said quietly, looking downstream a little ways. 

A beautiful roan mare lifted her head to look at him, and then went back to drinking from the stream as if to say, "Maybe another time."

The young man sighed and walked over to her, taking hold of her reins and leading her away from the cold clear water. He vaulted into the saddle then strapped his full canteen to the saddlehorn in front of him. Patting her neck, he murmured, "Come on, girl. Not much longer now. We'll be in Rock Creek by nightfall."

*************************

The uneasy feeling did not leave the raven-haired girl as she walked down the street to the nearby jail. She always went over to feed the Sheriff and his deputies after she finished up with her duties at the inn, a habit that she continued since the new Sheriff was her uncle Christopher. 

Her heeled boots clicked on the walk, and she quickly waved her "hello's" to the shop owners as she passed. Her basket was full of biscuits and ham, as well as a full pot of coffee. She stepped down into the street, heedless of the dust and dirt she was kicking up onto her ankle-length skirt. It was hard enough to just keep from falling.

As she neared the jailhouse, her eyes caught sight of something that made her grin widely. Two very familiar horses were tied up in front: a palomino mare and a large black stallion. She hurried over, glad for once that she didn't listen to herself when she thought to cook less food.

"Good morning!" she announced as she walked in.

Lina nearly bowled her over in what many would believe was a hug, but was actually a full body dive for the food.

"Amelia! I'm so happy to see you! What do you have? The usual? Oh, how much? Thank goodness! And coffee too? You're a lifesaver! We rode almost non-stop and I was going to shoot this guy for being such a pain, but Gourry talked me out of it."

"Miss Lina," Amelia interrupted, leading the starving girl to a nearby desk. "Eat first, then you can tell me all about it."

The second she laid out the food, the diminutive redhead and a tall blonde man pounced on the fare, and it was clear that the poor sheriff and the two deputies would not be eating soon.

Lina Inverse, a tough girl who was only a year older than Amelia, was dressed so dramatically different from most women that most people took her for a boy. Pants, boots, shirt, vest, and black duster, hid her womanly features, so if it weren't for her long, flowing red hair, her small frame, and her constant insistence that she was a girl, no one would be able to tell.

Gourry Gabriev was a very sweet man, an expert with firearms, but a gentle person who didn't seem to mind taking orders from a young woman. He was similarly dressed, but although his long blond hair was down past his waist, no one ever questioned if he was a girl since he was well over six feet tall and very well built. He and Lina ate more than anyone she knew, and it seemed strange at first that they got along so well. He had apparently saved Lina from a group of outlaws, but Amelia had a feeling that Lina hadn't needed saving. Her infamous temper caused her reputation to precede her. You did NOT want trouble with Lina Inverse or her guardian Gourry Gabriev.

While they were eating, Amelia rushed back to the inn and grabbed any left over food in the kitchen and darted back to the jailhouse to feed her uncle and his deputies. He thanked her for the meager fare.

"Your friend there needed to eat more than us, niece," he said with a hint of a smile gracing his features. His beard made him look distinguished and wise, reflecting his inner nature quite nicely. "They caught the infamous 'Vruumugun the Ghost.' Had a bit of trouble, but they got their man."

"I still think Gourry should have let me shoot him," Lina muttered from across the room. Now finished with her food, she turned to Amelia and began to rant. "We caught up to him at some saloon and he was playing cards. I walked right up to him and told him that we were there to bring him in, and do you know what he said? He told me to wait until he was finished playing his hand!!! Me!" She had been gesticulating wildly, almost knocking over her empty plate and cup, and she ended up right in Amelia's face, a look of innocence suddenly playing across her features.

"A poor orphan," she began, clutching her hands to her chest, "trying to make her way in the world. It wasn't my fault that my big sister kicked me out of the house, into the cold, bitter night." Amelia had heard the story from Luna herself when she visited, and Lina was kicked out because she tried to make a buck at her sister's expense. And though it was nighttime, it wasn't really cold. It was the dead of summer in Sweetwater, and she had been told to go to the Seyruun's house straightaway via stagecoach. "I was forced to fend for myself, and found that bringing in criminals was such a noble cause!" And by the time she made it to town two months later (when it was a day and a half ride by stage), she had dragged in a group of outlaws with Gourry's help, and had been addicted to bounty hunting ever since. "He thought to deprive a young girl her income… by MAKING ME WAIT!!!" she yelled in the direction of the cells.

"Do you ever shut up?" a voice asked from the only occupied cell. The man sat up on his bunk, and Amelia was surprised. He was a slight man with a plain face who looked nothing like a criminal. "What ever happened to general courtesy?" he muttered.

"Courtesy? Why, you've gotta lot of nerve! I'll show YOU courtesy!!!" 

It took Amelia, Christopher, and Gourry to hold the girl back from the cell. She was growling and clawing for the cell, but they pulled her all the way back to the front door.

"Ah, you're not worth it anyway!" she shot back over her shoulder as she was finally dumped outside.

"He's worth five hundred dollars, though, Miss Lina," Christopher smiled at her. He handed her an envelope, and hearts were in here eyes. "That was well earned. We'll wait until the Marshall gets back before we transport him to Fort Laramie. Don't spend it all in one place now," he laughed, knowing Lina's miserly habits. Gourry would be lucky to get even half of it.

The trio waved goodbye to the Sheriff and walked back to Amelia's place.

"So, how did business do while we were gone?" Lina asked, thumbing through the papers in the envelopes, clearly counting the reward money. Amelia was sure that she would ask to see the books from their weeklong absence.

"Oh, about the same, I suppose," she answered, suddenly longing for a nice long ride. "Only the gentleman who was here when you left and then another two while you were gone. They left just this morning. But people have been coming in on a regular basis to eat. I even had to ask Miss Martina to come and help me out a couple of days. She's dropping by to help out with the lunch and supper crowds today."

Lina appeared thoughtful while Amelia unlocked the door to the inn and allowed them all inside. While the two were unloading their weapons into the gun rack, Amelia pulled out both her books and the cashbox for her friend, then went into the back yard to set to pumping fresh water into a large metal half-barrel that rested above a bed of low coals. After sticking several pieces of wood into the embers, she returned to the inn.

"It will be a while before the water gets to boiling, Miss Lina," she told her friend who was already pouring over the books. "I'm going to take Champion out for a quick ride. He's been aching to get out."

"Go ahead, Amelia," Lina answered without looking up. "Gourry can get the bath ready."

The girl did not wait for her to say any more; she was in her room in a flash, changing into a riding skirt (which was really more like loose trousers) and boots. As she went to the back door, Gourry caught her attention.

"Make sure you wear your coat, Amelia. And don't go too far. Looks like a storm's coming in."

"Sure, Mister Gourry!"

And with that, she pulled on her thick leather duster and went out to the barn.

Champion, a beautiful grey stallion, stamped and threw back his head upon seeing his owner enter the barn. She could almost hear him thinking, "It's about time." With a smile, she picked up his saddle and reins and entered his stall. His coat was still nice and clean from when she fed and brushed him a couple of hours ago, and she spent little time getting him saddled up and ready to ride.

The second she opened the barn door, Champ took off at a trot. Her grip on the pommel tightened, and with a hop aided by speed, she vaulted herself up into the saddle. Lina had taught her that trick ages ago, and after weeks of scrapes and cuts and bruises, the younger girl finally learned how to do a running mount.

Amelia's sense of unease was momentarily forgotten in the stream of the wind on her face and the dizzying streaks of color of the world rushing by. Together they ran, happy in the simple moment of freedom afforded these two. Growing bolder in her joy, she released the reins, gripping the horse with only her legs, and thrust her arms out to either side of her as if willing wings to sprout so they could fly away.

The route that she normally ran brought her north and then west of the town. She waved to James and Bob as they rode out with their father's cattle and then continued west along the streambed, finally slowing to a walk when they reached Pike's Pond, nearly four miles away from town. There, she dismounted and flopped down on the tall grass while Champion wandered down to the stream to drink.

When she caught her breath, she sat up and lazily walked over to a nearby willow, parting the curtain of leaves and entering "her castle." This was the place her father used to take her on their outings, where she played at being a princess and her father was the knight. Or, more often than not, where she would play the knight who fought to save the wounded king in the willow castle.

As she set a foot on a knot to climb up into the tree, Champion walked under the tree's canopy and whickered his displeasure.

"I'm not going to fall, you know," Amelia told the horse. "I've climbed this old tree hundreds of times." The horse rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe not hundreds, but at least dozens of times."

She pulled herself up through the limbs of the tree until she came up to the highest branch that could still support her weight, and with a valiant effort, popped her head through the canopy. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

Green surrounded the pond and the stream as it wound its way across the landscape. Fall was fast approaching, and already, she could see golds and browns sneaking into the scenery. Off in the distance, she could see the dark line of the town. 

Turning to the west, she started, and had to hold on tight to keep from falling out of the tree.

Not more than a mile away, a thick line of black smoke snaked its way skyward, issuing from right behind a rise: it was the Cooper's homestead.

Amelia's sense of duty kicked in, and she found herself in a controlled fall down the tree, hardly caring about the scrapes and cuts she was picking up along the way. In a moment, she was on her trusted steed, a knight of honor and valor, on her way to help and defend where she could.

***********************

Zelgadiss had made good time, and he was within a few of miles of Rock Creek when he first saw the smoke. From the black curls rising into the air, he could tell it was no hearth fire. If he could remember correctly from the last time he had been to this town, someone lived down that way. Cooter or Cooper or such.

He sat on his mare, contemplating his next course of action. This was just going to be another one of those things that held him up when he had someplace to be, and he did not have enough time. A storm was fast on his heels, and he wanted to cover as much ground as possible before he was forced to stop. Besides, he was the heartless wandering gunfighter, right?

He had just wheeled his horse around when the faint sound of gunfire drifted to his sensitive ears. A scream. And smoke…

Kicking his horse Lightning forward, he found himself charging towards the smoke, almost not heeding the screaming voice in the back of his mind about the stupidity of running headlong into a fight where he had no idea of what was going on. The voice slowly won out as he neared the top of the rise, and he pulled his mount to a stop. Leading her to a nearby tree, he loosely tied her up and pulled out a rifle. Treading carefully, he snuck up to the ridge and peered down into the small valley.

The house was burning and two bodies lay on the ground and, even from this distance, Zelgadiss could tell they were dead. One, he recognized as Old Cooper, the crotchety old gent who used to tell him that his son was a good-for-nothing lazy deadbeat who was going to be the death of him. The other must have been his wife. No one else was around, but there were tracks everywhere. 

With a sudden anger, Zel marched down to the house, trying to keep those horrible memories at bay. Kneeling down beside the two bodies, he turned over Old Cooper and closed the poor man's unseeing eyes. When he gently turned over his wife, her eyes fluttered open. Her hands knotted into fists on his coat.

"They took her. She was only trying to help… My son took her. Please, you must help…" Her hands fell away as she breathed her last, and Zelgadiss lowered her to the ground.

Who was she talking about?

His sharp eyes caught a piece of pink and white on the ground a few yards away. Picking it up, his heart dropped just a little upon seeing the little violet embroidered letters on the handkerchief: A.S.

Amelia Seyruun.

***********************

"Of all the atrocious, despicable, unconscionable, unmanly…"

Whack!

Wide-eyed, Amelia was stunned that he actually struck her. Wishing she could have glared back at him, she resigned herself to concentrating on balancing herself on Champ. She was already tied up and draped ungracefully across her poor horse's back as they wound their way away through the hills several miles from town. After a failed escape attempt, they had bound her hands and feet, and treated her like a sack of grain: her feet were on one side of the horse and her head on the other.

"Just too bad you came along when you did, Amelia," one of the men murmured to her as their leader rode on ahead. If she could remember correctly, it was Gordon, one of Connor's old buddies.

"He killed his parents, Mister Gordon," she tried to reason with him. The trail was bouncing strangely as she regarded him upside down. She fought off the urge to vomit.

"Not my business, Missy. That's 'tween him an' them, rest their souls."

"You could have stopped them…"

"Enough!" Connor yelled at them from up ahead. "We've got to be as far away from Rock Creek as we can."

Grunting in agreement, Gordon and a couple of other men spurred their horses forward, pulling Amelia and Champ along behind them. She fought to keep her breath as she was bounced around. Closing her eyes, she tried to shut the memory of the murders of those nice people out of her mind. Thoughts of a cavalry rushing to her aid to dispense justice and retribution filled her mind and left no room for what might happen to her if help did not arrive.

By late afternoon, they arrived just in time at an outcropping of rock in the hills where a shaky-looking house with one door and a window had been shoddily constructed. The storm had finally caught up to them, and it was absolutely pouring down rain. Amelia's thoughts of a cavalry coming to her rescue melted away in the rain. No one could possibly be able to track them now that the rain had washed away their trail.

Someone, it didn't matter who, pulled her down and severed the bonds at her feet, then pushed her until she followed Gordon to the questionable structure. Shoved into a corner, she was given a musty and dirty blanket and forgotten. The rain pattered ceaselessly against the thin pane of glass, threatening to break through, but the men did not seem to care.

There were four of them; the other two men, Amelia did not know. They all sat down at a round table in the middle of the small room, which was lit only by a lantern on the table and the low glow of coals in the cast iron stove on the other side.

Trying to concentrate on the conversations around her, she secretly worked at the rope around her wrists. Several places were rubbed raw, but her determination pushed her through the pain. If no one would be able to rescue her, then she'd have to do it herself! She stopped suddenly and refocused on the discussion when Gordon came forward with what looked like a thin stew and set it at her feet. Her mouth began to water.

"Gotta feed her if you're keepin' her, Connor," he continued, and Amelia tried to pick up the thread of conversation. Gordon returned to his place at the table and ladled himself another bowl. "Though I don't really know why you're keepin' her."

A flash of lightning was followed closely by the crack of thunder. Her heart jumped at the sound, and her contorted grip on her spoon tightened. The house was on the lee side of the outcropping, but she could still hear the howl of the winds that had picked up outside. She could see through the little window that it was almost fully dark outside…

"She saw what happened back there," Connor answered, his patience wearing thin. "I can't just let her run home to tell her daddy or her uncle what we did. I should have just shot her on the spot, but I thought she might just come in handy on a cold, lonely night like this one…"

The spoon froze on its way to Amelia's mouth, and she glanced up at him. He was eyeing her with an evil glint. Cold spread through her body as realization of why she was taken began to seep in. 

Another flash of lightning, and suddenly he was standing next to the table. Thunder boomed, followed by another strike, and he had Amelia by the arm. Her cry was drowned out by the rumble overhead.

*************************

Zelgadiss had no trouble following the men who had killed the Coopers and kidnapped Amelia. They had taken no real measures to cover their tracks, probably believing that the storm would wash the trail clean. They were right for the most part, but they hadn't counted on someone following them so soon. He was only half an hour behind them, and his tracking skills were better than most. This quarry was not going to elude him.

He had met Amelia under strange conditions a few years ago, and her treatment of him was something that he had always valued. He had brought in a bounty with Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, one that he had tracked and he had found, but one that needed Lina's more creative way of handling her bounties (they all dressed as women in order to infiltrate a compound then took out all the bodyguards with ease) and Gourry's expertise with firearms (the man's sheer size alone allowed more hiding places for weapons than Zelgadiss' slight frame.) As much as he cringed at the memory of that bounty, he also appreciated meeting Amelia as well as her father.

They dragged the men into Rock Creek's jailhouse and were greeted by a slip of a girl who couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen and sported a badge marked "Deputy." It took several minutes of convincing before he came to understand that Amelia was actually the Sheriff's daughter who had just delivered food, and was standing in his place while he was in a meeting with a Federal Marshall in the next room.

After everything was sorted out, prisoners locked in their cells, and introductions made, Amelia invited him to stay at their Inn at the edge of town, free of charge. She had done an initial double take of his face, but she never stared or treated him differently from her friends. Lina almost strangled the girl for not being business-minded, but, surprisingly, she fended Lina off with a strange amount of delicacy. 

After that, the few times Zelgadiss passed through Rock Creek, he would stay at Amelia's no-weapon Inn. The last time he had seen her was about a year ago when they had all had a big adventure and helped prevent a war between one of the Indian tribes and the settlers down in Oklahoma. He briefly wondered about their friend Filia as well as Xelloss and the baby Val somewhere in one of the southern towns, but his thoughts soon returned to the girl who needed his help.

He finally came to a hovel set next to a huge rock outcropping uncontested, and he tied Lightning to a tree. Even in the rain, he could see Amelia's grey stallion tied up miserably with the other horses. Pulling out his rifle and shielding it from the rain in his duster, he strode purposely up to the house. Quickly untying all the horses, save Amelia's grey, and setting them loose, he continued forward.

Lightning flashed, followed by thunder, and he pulled the lever on the rifle. He flattened himself against the outside of the house, and his sharp ears tried to pick up what they were saying inside.

"…just shot her on the spot, but I thought she might just come in handy on a cold, lonely night like this one…"

He peeked in, just as another flash of lightning struck, and he was surprised by two things: Amelia, despite the situation, still looked amazingly pretty… umm… calm, and also his revolver was in his hand and cocked as the roll of thunder sounded above him. Yet another lightning strike, and Zelgadiss could see the fear etched on her face, as well as the recognition of the fact that he was right outside. Time seemed to slow down, and Zelgadiss acted.

The man grabbed her arm.

A loud boom of thunder sounded directly overhead.

Amelia's cry of, "Mister Zelgadiss!" was drowned out by the rumble.

Zelgadiss' shot punched through the window and connected with the man's shoulder.

He fell forward and hit the wall.

The door flew open, and the wind screamed in, followed by a terrifying figure, his face disfigured by scars, his hands holding two deadly weapons. As the men at the table reached for their guns, he shot them all. They never had a chance.

"Stop right there!"

Zelgadiss wheeled around. The man was holding Amelia by the hair with a gun to her head. Her eyes were wide with fright, but she was twisted to the side, her arms at an awkward angle. Zel dropped his weapons in defeat. He couldn't risk hitting Amelia.

"I don't know who you are, you freak, but this is my house and you just shot my friends. I won't hesitate to kill you."

His eye twitched at the derogatory remark, but tried to keep his voice even.

"Just like you didn't hesitate to kill those people back there?"

The man's eyes narrowed. Amelia was still moving around, and Zelgadiss wished she would stop. If he was who he thought he was, a man crazy enough to kill his own parents wouldn't think twice of killing some girl. His worry for his friend soon turned to concern for himself as he found the gun being leveled at his face.

"You should learn to keep your ugly nose out of other people's business."

The simultaneous lightning strike and thunder signaled the men, and Zelgadiss jumped out of the way as the man pulled the trigger and shoved Amelia back into the corner. Zel tried to ignore the burning in his left arm as the bullet tore through his flesh. As fast as he could, he drew his remaining gun and fired…

Misfired. Damn.

The man laughed and held his hand steady as he pointed at Zelgadiss with his pistol.

"It must be my lucky day. You've provided me with a wonderful alibi. I just have to tell people that you drifted through, murdered my parents and kidnapped her before trying to use my house as a refuge, killing my men. How heroic do you think I'll be for killing you after you murdered Amelia as well?"

"_You bastard_!"

No, he couldn't die like this. His eyes flicked to his other guns, lying on the floor about ten feet away. His arm was beginning to throb, but if he was going to die, then dammit, he'd die in a blaze of glory!

As his legs sprang into action, a gunshot cracked. In one leap, he picked up his gun and swung it around to aim, but another shot sounded first.

The surprised look on the man's face was forever etched on his face as his body slumped to the ground. Amelia's shaky hands dropped the tiny two-barreled pistol, and she sank to her knees, tears streaming from her face. 

"I… I just… I couldn't… let him… oh… I kill… I killed him…"

Gritting his teeth against the ache in his arm, Zelgadiss took off his duster and crossed the space between them in two strides. As gently as he knew how, he placed it around her shoulders and allowed her to melt into his side, sobbing her heart out. He picked up her tiny pistol and pocketed it before cutting the bonds at her wrists and then carefully steering her out into the rain. Only concerned with getting her back to town, he untied her horse from the rail and, despite his hand slipping from the all blood running in rivulets down his arm, managed to tie it to his own horse's saddle. 

He couldn't ignore the sharp pain that lanced through his arm when he helped Amelia up onto Lightning, and before mounting up behind her, he bound his wound as tightly as he could. His arm was the least of his concerns. The poor girl was in shock. Her mouth was still moving wordlessly, and he placed his injured arm loosely around her waist to keep her in place. The ride back to town was slow going in the unrelenting rain. Zelgadiss tried to think of what he could do to wait out the night, but he was not about to go back to that hovel. He couldn't think to make camp and have her sleep out in the rain. He just had to bring her back home.

After several minutes trying to keep Lightning from slipping on the trail as well as trying to keep a general idea of where town was, he leaned forward.

"Thank you for saving my life, Amelia," he murmured in her ear. She let out a little sob, and his grip on her tightened slightly. "Don't regret what you did. He murdered his parents and would have done worse to you if he had the chance. You were very brave."

He felt her head nod next to his face, and she leaned back against him. Before long, her head lolled over to rest in the crook of his neck and she went limp in his arms. Overcome with exhaustion, she had finally succumbed to her weariness and fallen asleep. He was not that far behind her in fatigue, and by the time they got back to town, Zelgadiss' only thought was to keep his charge safe and stay in the saddle.

The low lights of the town was a beacon for him, and he vaguely thought to steer Lightning in that general direction, but the horses were way ahead of him, having remembered the way home. Soon, blurry visions swam in front of his face as he was pulled gently from his horse. He tried to keep a hold of Amelia who was being taken away from him, but then there was a familiar redhead assuring him that they were safe. Amelia's too pale face was the last thing he remembered.

******************************

A/N: Three _huge_ hugs go out to: **Pogo** for having the contest and putting up the challenge in the first place, **Kaeru Shisho** for doing a brilliant job of beta reading and furthering the challenge, and my husband for coming up with the idea for a western. Thank you for everything!

Click the blue button and review!


	2. Act 2

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 2**

The morning dawned bright and fresh after the week of rain that had poured down on the town of Rock Creek. Christopher and a group of deputies rode out at first light to follow Zelgadiss' sketchy directions to Connor's hideout, and they had found the bodies of three of the four men, just as described by the bounty hunter upon his niece's reappearance. Unfortunately, no sign of the fourth had been found. 

Both Amelia and Zelgadiss had fallen into a fever after they arrived home, but for different reasons. The stress Amelia had gone through had been more than she could handle, and the ride in the rain had made it worse. Zelgadiss had all but ignored the fact that he had been shot and lost a lot of blood, and he had suffered from the cold and chill more than his companion.

Marshall Phil was delayed due to the rain, but had sent word that he would return before the week was out, so Lina and Gourry sat attending both invalids. Only Lina was able to piece together from fevered mutterings and forced answers to her questions what exactly happened out there. 

That fateful day, Lina had started worrying the second she noticed that Amelia had not yet returned by the time Gourry had drawn their baths. She usually tried not to care too much, but Amelia was like a little sister to her: someone she could bully as well as protect. As the lunch crowd came and went and the afternoon drew on, Lina sent Gourry to inform the Sheriff and follow, while she rode on ahead. 

It was a good thing Amelia was a creature of habit, for they easily found fresh tracks at Pike's pond. These led to the Cooper's homestead where they discovered the grisly scene. Evidence of a struggle, and Amelia's tiny footprints were all but stamped out by larger ones; she had run into something that she couldn't handle. Then the storm arrived in full force, and in a matter of minutes, they had lost the trail. When night fell, Gourry had to convince her and Amelia's uncle to stop wandering around in circles and return to town.

Feeling helpless was something Lina absolutely hated, and that was how she felt that night. Only Gourry's comforting presence and warm hand on hers kept the darkness at bay. Hope returned when she saw out of the Inn's window a familiar grey horse walk by, and she could have kissed both Amelia and Zelgadiss if they hadn't looked like the dead. 

"Miss Lina?" Amelia's weak voice broke through her thoughts.

Lina turned her ruby eyes to regard her friend's pallid face peeking out from under a white and pink quilt. "Are you finally awake, Amelia?" Lina asked gently, taking the girl's hand in hers.

"You haven't slept, have you? You look so tired…"

"Yeah, enough about me. How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," she smiled, and Lina grinned.

"That's my girl. I'll see if Martina's got anything cooked up…"

"Miss Lina?" She stopped in her tracks and turned back. "Thank you."

The older girl smiled. 

"Don't thank me, Amelia. I didn't do anything. Thank Zel when he wakes up." Lina quickly left the room then wiped at her eyes. She was just glad that her friend was okay, that's all.

She stopped by at the kitchen to inform Martina that Amelia would need some food in a few minutes. The strange girl with short green hair who was the daughter of a local minister merely nodded and turned back to her work. Although it had taken a long time for Amelia to finally befriend her, she didn't really like Lina very much. A while back, the fiery-tempered girl had tossed a stick of dynamite into their church to flush out an outlaw who had taken her and her father hostage. Never mind that Lina saved their lives; Martina couldn't forgive her for destroying her home and the shrine of her patron saint, Zoamelgustar.

Whatever.

Lina went upstairs to the room that Zelgadiss was staying in and peeked inside. Gourry looked up at her and smiled, almost as if he sensed her presence, and she entered the sparse and utilitarian room.

Zelgadiss looked as if he were getting better as well. Color was returning to his skin, and it appeared that he had stopped sweating out his fever. Without hesitation or compunction, she placed her cool hand on his scarred forehead. Good. Cool to the touch. No sign of fever.

He opened his eyes at the touch and pushed himself up quickly, grabbing Lina's wrist away from him.

"Zel! It's me! Calm down. You're okay now…"

"Where's Amelia?" he demanded, his aquamarine eyes focusing on her. His grip did not lessen.

"Let me GO and I'll tell you!" she yelled, wrenching her arm from his grasp. Gourry could see the fire in her eyes and stepped in front of her. "Gourry, get out of the way! Oh, Zel, you'd better apologize now!"

Gourry was now physically holding the petite girl back from throttling their friend, but Zelgadiss apparently didn't seem to care that Lina was ready to kill him. Instead, he was reaching for his shirt and tugging it on over his head. Inside, he winced at the pain stabbing through his left arm (which was neatly bandaged, he noted), but he still stood, holding onto the bedpost for support. Only when a boot hit him on the head and knocked him to the floor did he think to look back at the others in the room.

Lina was in Gourry's arms, but it was hardly a romantic moment. She was glaring over his shoulder, boot in hand, murder in her eyes.

"What thanks is that for keeping you alive, you ungrateful, selfish…?!"

"I'm sorry, Lina," he muttered from his spot on the floor. He stared at his hands, wondering why he was so concerned over the girl. They had become fairly close upon their last adventure, the way anyone would become close to another who shared the same common goals, but the memory of her deathly pale face wrenched his heart in a way he could not understand. "How is Amelia?"

"She's going to be fine, Zel. She's resting now," Lina said softly, kneeling next to him to pick up her boot. This sudden change in his behavior deflated most of her anger: most, but not all. She stuck a finger in his face. "But if you EVER lay a hand on me like that again, I'll shoot first and feel sorry later, you got that?"

Although not prone to fear, Zel actually felt a cold shudder pass through him at the fierce look that Lina was giving him. The knowledge of how she saved Rock Creek from Amelia's traitorous cousin's murderers by blowing up the far section of the town, how she saved the Navratilovas by blowing up their church, and how she accidentally derailed a train into Filia's hometown made him realize that Lina would have no qualms about following through on her threats.

"Y… yeah."

"Good. Now let's go eat. Amelia's starving and so am I."

Lina left them and returned downstairs, ready to devour what she could. Martina was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and in her arms, she held a tray with a bowl of soup and bread. Lina immediately began drooling.

"This is for Amelia, so I'm bringing it to her room. You can get your own food," Martina snapped, trying to hide the tray from Lina's view. Although Lina was a couple of steps higher, Martina still somehow managed to look down her nose at her. 

Luckily for her, she stepped away just in time and didn't see Lina make a grab for one of the two large pigtail curls that she usually wore in her hair. Muttering obscenities under her breath, Lina made her way to the kitchen and hunted up a slab of ham as well as bowl of soup and bread. After pouring herself a glass of water, she went to sit with Amelia, "accidentally" bumping Martina on her way.

"Do you need help eating, Amelia?" she asked when she was settled into a comfortable chair. She had helped the younger girl into a sitting position, piling pillows behind her back, and placed the tray on her lap.

"No, Miss Lina. Thank you." 

Amelia smiled the way she always did, and ate slowly. Her careful sips and dainty bites were soon drowned out by Lina's loud gulping and chomping. Though she was hungry, it was not long before Amelia stopped eating altogether, her mind and her gaze drawn out of her lace-curtained window to the clearing sky outside. Seeing the look of melancholy descend upon her countenance, Lina slammed her tray down on the nightstand.

"What's that look for? You did what you had to do, and no one else would have done otherwise! Something horrible could have happened to you and Zel if you didn't do anything. Could you have lived with yourself if anything happened to your friend? And besides, what's the point of carrying a gun if you don't use it, right?"

Surprised at first, Amelia began to see the reasoning of her friend, but then she remembered that it was her gun and she did use it to kill another person. The sudden memory of the bullet slamming into the man's side and then another into his head flashed into her mind, and she had barely enough time to lean over the side of her bed before she vomited up the food she had just eaten.

The unexpected crash of the tray and bowl falling to the floor brought everyone rushing to Amelia's room. It was all Lina could do to keep the three of them out.

"It's okay! Nothing's wrong!" she yelled, pushing as hard as she could on Zelgadiss' chest so he'd back out of the room. She was surprised he was so fast and so strong after being bedridden for the last week.

"Lina, is Amelia okay? What's going on?"

"I said nothing was wrong. She's just not feeling too good. Martina, get these guys into the kitchen and then get back here with a bowl of water and some rags."

"Why can't you get them yourself? You aren't sick!"

Lina reached out and grabbed a fistful of Martina's blouse and pulled her close. She growled in her ear, "Listen, you! I can't leave her right now."

She released her with a shove, but Martina had seen the sorry state that Amelia was in. Glaring at Lina, she muttered, "I don't have to take orders from the likes of you, but for Amelia's sake…"

When provoked, the green-haired girl turned out to be stronger than she appeared. She dragged the two men away, and within a few seconds, she was back at the door. Lina wordlessly accepted the requested items and began cleaning up her friend. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Lina."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." She sighed. "I'll clean up. You should rest."

The girl did not argue, and she once again turned her gaze to the blue sky beyond her window as Lina went to fetch a mop.

*************************

Marshall Phil returned that afternoon and immediately went to see how his daughter was feeling. Her fever had returned, and she slept fitfully the rest of the day, vaguely returning to consciousness only once or twice. Finally, he left her room after several hours, and he called an informal meeting later that night so he could get the full tale of Amelia's abduction and subsequent return.

"Connor Cooper, Gordon Black, and Sirus Tatum. There wasn't another body there," Christopher reported, rubbing the back of his neck as they all sat in the common room at the Inn. 

Martina poured more coffee into both Christopher's and Phil's cups before moving on to Zel and Gourry. She conspicuously left out Lina, and with a glare down at the girl, disappeared into the kitchen muttering under her breath, "I'm Amelia's friend too, so why didn't they ask me anything? They're always planning stuff and they leave me out…"

"I told you," Zelgadiss stated from his position by the hearth, trying to ignore Martina's mutterings. The dancing flames cast harsh shadows across his scarred face, but everyone present was used to his shocking appearance. "I shot four men that night. One of them is missing."

Lina tapped her finger on the table. "We're not questioning that. What I want to know is who these guys were working for?"

"Hey, isn't Sirus Tatum one of the Tatum Boys?" Gourry wondered aloud, and everyone inwardly groaned. He had a tendency to state the obvious, and Lina had a tendency to not put up with it.

Sure enough, she twitched.

"Dummy! Of course he is. What do you think his last name is?"

"Oh. Then doesn't that mean that Zel killed one of the Tatum clan?"

"Yes! We know that! What's your point???"

"Don't you know, Lina? The Tatum clan is the side of the Dylan clan that nobody likes to talk about, because they varnished the Dylan name."

"V… varnished?"

Zelgadiss scratched his temple. This was getting ridiculous. "I think he means 'tarnished,' Lina."

"Yeah, yeah. So the Tatums are a bunch of bad guys. What's your point?"

"Oh. I don't have one." A long, drawn out moment stretched on while Lina pounded on Gourry's head. Zelgadiss shook his head and looked at Phil. The Marshall understood the significance of that look and tried to get their discussion back on track.

"Miss Lina. Mister Gourry. Can we get back to the problem at hand? I think what Mister Gourry is trying to say is that now we might have a problem with either the Tatums or the Dylans now if that last person went back to tell them."

The two stopped squabbling, and Lina plopped back down into her seat. Gourry rubbed the top of his head.

"Well, they'd be in for a surprise if they try anything, Phil," she returned with a wicked gleam in her eye. Everyone shuddered at the thought of what Lina could possibly do if provoked enough. The town of Rock Creek would never be the same.

"I appreciate any help you can give, Miss Lina, but right now, my main concern is making sure that Amelia is going to be okay."

At the mention of her friend, Lina became solemn. "I've never seen her like this, Phil. Even in all the fights in all the places we've been, I haven't once seen her as depressed as she is now."

"Well, she's never killed anyone before, Lina," Zelgadiss muttered, crossing his arms. His eyes traveled up to regard his friend, and then flew past her as the object of their conversation stepped shakily into the room. "Amelia?"

Everyone's head turned to the doorway, and Zelgadiss immediately jumped out of his seat, his chair falling to the floor behind him.

"D… Daddy?" Amelia asked, unsure at first, but upon seeing that her father was really there, threw herself into his arms and began to cry. "Oh, I thought it was a dream. I missed you so much!"

Zel showed amazing sensitivity as he stood and returned to his room, giving Lina and Gourry a pat on their shoulders as he passed. Soon, the rest left as well, allowing the father and daughter their privacy.

He closed the door of his room behind him, and took a deep sigh of relief. So, she was okay. Maybe now he could get back on track with his hunt. He rooted through his belongings, packing them away carefully into his saddlebags, when he came upon a tiny two-barreled pistol. He held the thing in his palm, surprised at how small it was, and decided to hold onto it. Amelia was certainly dismayed by her actions, despite their good and just intent, so he didn't imagine that seeing it again was a good idea. It was a wonder that she had the thing in the first place. 

He removed the two spent bullet casings and placed it in the bottom of his bag before lying down, his mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts and emotions. It took several hours before he finally was able to fall asleep.

***************************

Lightning seemed happy to see him when he opened the barn doors the next morning. It was still dark, perhaps an hour before sunrise, but it was now or never. He placed his saddlebags over the door to her stall, and she stuck her head over the rail to greet him. She nudged his chest, and he smirked before giving her a handful of oats, which she snuffled greedily. Patting the side of her face, he whispered, "Come on, girl. Let's get going."

He walked over to the rail where the saddle and blanket were resting and had just picked them up when the sound of a stall door opening caught his attention.

"Were you leaving, Mister Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked in a small voice, closing the door to Champion's stall behind her. Worry crossed his mind about her being out here in the cold, but he could see that she was wearing her thick duster over a sweater and trousers. "Without saying goodbye?"

Although still a little pale, she appeared healthier than the night before. She held herself as she usually did, back straight, face tilted up slightly, but there was something about her that was different. Her eyes did not lift to meet his, and the spark that always seemed to light up her face seemed a little dimmer.

This was not the Amelia he wanted to see, but it was better if she knew of the dangers of life rather than live in such an idealized world.

"It's better if I left, Amelia. I was the one who shot those men, so if anyone comes looking for revenge, they'll come looking for me. I don't want to be here if that happens. I don't want anyone I care about to get hurt."

"That's such a noble gesture."

His eyes shot up to her face, but she was staring at the ground. Her voice was not filled with justice or hope or righteous anger. She was being sarcastic. 

"If I stay here, people will die."

She finally looked up at him. "Do you think I would let Miss Lina and Mister Gourry live with me if I didn't know that I'd be in danger from people who'd want revenge for what they've done? I may have childish ideals and notions, but that doesn't make me stupid. I know rushing out there was a bit hasty, and I have a bad habit of acting before I think, but I wouldn't have changed anything that I did that day. Even… even killing him."

She pushed past him and ran out of the barn back towards the Inn. Zelgadiss had a sudden revelation.

Amelia wasn't a little girl anymore.

***************************

The shotgun in the gun cabinet had been her Daddy's idea, but it was mostly for show, so people wouldn't think she was an easy target for robbers. Amelia was always surrounded by people who would take care of her and who wouldn't let any harm come to her, so she would never need to use the weapon. Or so Phil had thought.

The pistol had been her sister's idea.

Naga gave her the tiny gun when she had last rolled through town several months ago. They had never been overly close, but something had happened to the older girl to make her want to trek halfway across the country from San Francisco just to spend time with her sister. When she handed her the cloth-wrapped gun, she was adamant about Amelia always keeping it with her, wherever she went.

"You never know when you might need to use it, Amelia," she had said, resting her head on her little sister's shoulder. "Mommy might be alive today if she had kept one with her. Daddy and Uncle Christopher and Lina and Gourry can't be there for you all the time. Promise me you'll keep it with you every day. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

And Amelia always kept her promises, sometimes to her own inner turmoil.

Despite her brave words to Zelgadiss, Amelia found herself second-guessing her own ideals. Justice and goodness. Hope and righteousness. There wasn't room in her heart for revenge, but she believed in punishment for ill deeds. What was the difference? Where was the line separating the two? Was she evil because she killed a man, or was she a hero because she had saved her friend?

Since Lina and Martina had called a shaky truce and were taking care of the Inn, Amelia had gone out to sit on the fence behind the property and stare out at the landscape to the south of town. The other girls had understood her melancholy, and left her to her thoughts, hoping that she would be able to pull herself out of the depression she was in. She rubbed idly at her wrists, scarred over where the ropes had bitten cruelly into her flesh, while her eyes roamed the scenery.

Somewhere out there, lived Filia and Xelloss, the two people she knew who were constantly fighting about the best way to do things. Amelia always imagined them to be the representatives of good and evil. Of course, Filia wasn't entirely good. She had a temper to match Lina's and had the tendency to lash out rather than talk. Xellos wasn't entirely evil either. He helped them out on more than one occasion, and could be counted upon to come through in a pinch. He would also rather talk things through before resorting to violence.

Today, the two of them lived in a small town far to the south, fairly content with each other, as they raised baby Val. So it was possible to have a compromise between high ideals and quick results? A voice interrupted her musings.

"Amelia?"

Zelgadiss leaned against the fence next to her. So he hadn't left after all. 

"Thank you for saving my life, Mister Zelgadiss," she said, still looking out at the wide expanse of grass and trees that stretched before her. "I didn't want you to leave so soon after arriving. I just wish it had been under different circumstances."

"I wish it had, too." 

She risked a glance down at him and found him regarding her curiously. "I've decided to stay for a while, to see if things blow over, before I do anything," he informed her.

She smiled at that, and her heart felt a little lighter. Surprising her, Zelgadiss touched her cheek lightly with the back of his fingers.

"That's how you should look," he murmured with the barest of smirks. "A smile belongs on your face."

Her heart began racing, and thankfully, he left her to her thoughts. Now, however, he had also added another uncertainty that she believed she had gotten over when he left her a year ago. Her childhood crush on Zelgadiss was returning, but she shut her eyes tightly against the feelings that were welling up in her heart.

************************

"Vruumugun is here? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Zelgadiss demanded, slamming his fist into the doorframe.

Lina's hand twitched, aching to reach for her absent gun, but Amelia placed a hand on her arm.

"Miss Lina brought him in last week, Mister Zelgadiss. They had to wait for Daddy to return so he could bring him to Fort Laramie to stand trial. Why, do you know him?"

Lina stared at her friend. That was the most she had heard her say in the last couple of days. "Yeah, what's the problem, Zel?" she growled.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," he grumbled as he strode out of the room. Lina went after him, followed closely by Amelia and Gourry.

"Hey! Where are you going? Don't leave me behind!" Martina cried, trying to wait on customers while cooking more food for the lunch crowd and for the quartet that just left her. No one seemed to hear or care.

Zelgadiss walked purposefully down the street to the jailhouse, Lina trailing behind, throwing rocks at the back of his head. She was surprisingly accurate, but Zel ignored the pestering until she jumped on his back and put him in a headlock. Even then, he continued walking, though a little slower with the added weight.

"Zel's very single-minded, isn't he?" Gourry asked Amelia as they watched the pair in front of them with a small degree of amusement.

"He's always been like that, right, Mister Gourry?"

He smiled and nodded at her, glad that she was talking again.

"You're getting really tall," he noticed as they walked next to each other.

"Naturally. It runs in my family. My big sister's about as tall as you are, Mister Gourry!"

"Sounds scary," he said, trying to picture an older, taller version of his friend. He shuddered.

"She is."

Gourry patted her on the head like a big brother, earning a smile from the girl. He was always so nice and easy-going. After giving him a quick hug for making her feel better, they hurried to catch up to the others. When they did, they almost wished they hadn't.

"Where is he, Sheriff?" Zelgadiss demanded, slamming open the door to the jailhouse. Christopher looked up from his desk and squinted at him.

"Depends on who you're looking for, Zelgadiss."

"Don't toy with me! Where's Vruumugun?"

"He's in a cell," he answered, standing to his full height. Although not as intimidating a figure as Phil, there was still a reason he was highly regarded as Sheriff. He did not let anyone intimidate him. "And if you want to see him, then I suggest you show a little more respect in my jail."

He crossed his arms in front of him and waited for Zelgadiss' next move. Amelia, however, was not in the mood for puffing displays of male territorialism.

"Mister Zelgadiss! Stop being so rude! If you had just asked him, I'm sure Uncle Christopher would have let you see him right away. And besides, even if you wanted to push people around, just what do you think you can do to him with no guns?"

The young man did not take his eyes off the Sheriff, but his hands went to his empty holsters. Remembering that they were still in Amelia's gun cabinet, he cursed under his breath, "Damn my luck and that stupid rule…" 

They shot each other a glare, but Amelia turned her back on him and snorted.

"And I thought I was always running off doing things without thinking," she muttered, which made Lina laugh. "And you, too, Miss Lina!" Amelia suddenly rounded on her as well. "You didn't have to hit Mister Zelgadiss like that. He didn't do anything to you, so you shouldn't have been so mean to him!"

Glad that Amelia wasn't moping around anymore, Lina merely muttered a quiet, "Sorry." 

Satisfied that some degree of order and decorum had been restored to the room, she turned to the Sheriff. "Uncle Christopher, do you think it would be okay for Mister Zelgadiss to see who he wants?" At his gentle nod, she continued, "Where's Daddy?"

"He rode out this morning with a couple of my deputies to see if he could track down that fourth man. He doesn't like being surprised."

"I understand. Thank you."

He led them all to the cell, and Vruumugun sat up on his cot. Upon seeing Lina, he made a rude gesture at her, and while both Gourry and Christopher were occupied with carrying her back outside kicking and screaming, he turned his attention to the newcomer.

"You're an ugly freak," he stated clinically, as if speaking about the weather.

Zelgadiss' fingers moved, clearly wanting to shoot him, but he forced himself to stay calm in Amelia's presence.

"Where is he?" he asked, biting back the urge to reach through the bars and strangle him.

"Who?"

"Your old boss. The one who hired you to beat and burn a family out of their homestead seven years ago."

"Seven years? That's a long time ago, kid. It's hard to remember…"

"How many families did you destroy? He killed my parents, burned down my home, and left me to die!" He heard Amelia gasp behind him, but he figured she would find out about his past eventually. He went on, "You were one of his trusted men. You would have some kind of information on where he is now!" 

"It's you. You're the kid. Y… you survived?" Vruumugun wondered in disbelief.

"Yes, and I have 'The Red Priest' to thank for this." He pulled his hair away from his face, and the man hissed in shock at the sight. "Tell me what you know."

Whether it was from shock or genuine regret, he would never know, but the man told him, "I heard he's a doctor now. He sold your family's land and used the money to fund his research. I haven't heard from them in a few years now, though they did say something about going west."

"They?"

"Yeah. He's got a lady friend who's his assistant. I think her name was Erin or something. Sorry, kid, but that's all I've got."

Zelgadiss turned around and walked back to the front room, his hand at his chin in a thoughtful expression. With a quick curtsey, Amelia thanked Vruumugun and followed her friend out into the room where he just stood, looking absently out of the window. Before she could ask him about it, a loud voice yelled out from the street.

"Zelgadiss! Zelgadiss Greywords! You killed my brother, you demon-faced, yellow-bellied coward!"

They both ran to the door and peeked out. People were running here and there, doors shutting securely behind them as they sought to get out of the way of the inevitable showdown. There, in the middle of the street, one of the men that he had shot, stood with his hands resting just inches from twin guns at his side. He was thin and greasy-looking with beady eyes, and Amelia remembered him as the man who pulled her off the horse when they got to the hideout. Behind him, to her dismay, lay Phil, battered and bleeding. He was tied up, but it was clear that he was still alive.

"Da…"

Zel's hand clamped over her mouth, and he pulled her farther into the jail before she could dart outside. He all but threw her against the wall, trapping her between his hands resting on either side of her face. 

"Your father's alive, Amelia. I've got to make sure he stays that way. Don't do anything or that guy might decide to act first."

"But you're going out there…"

A tear escaped her eye, and with surprising tenderness in such a situation, he wiped it away with his thumb. As his face drew near, his aquamarine eyes betrayed an emotion she had never before seen. She felt her face heating under his intense gaze.

"Greywords, I'm giving you to the count of ten to get out here!"

Whatever it was that Amelia had seen was gone, replaced by a steeliness that made her warm face turn cold. He pushed himself away and went to the gun cabinet. It was a good thing Christopher used the same key that Amelia used for hers, because, wordlessly, she took the key from her neck and unlocked the cabinet for him.

"Three…"

Although there were many weapons, rifles and revolvers alike, Zel chose two revolvers, checked that they were loaded, and slipped them into his holsters.

"Seven…"

He paused in the doorway to take one last look at Amelia. Although worry and concern covered her features, she was still a vision of loveliness in her cream and pink blouse and tan skirt. Tearing his gaze away from the girl, he stepped out into the street as the man yelled, "Ten."

Zel squinted while his eyes adjusted to the brightness of midday. His eyes made a quick sweep of the street before he took his place opposite the man, kicking up dust as he walked. The streets were empty, save for Lina leaning against a post in front of the Inn, Gourry sitting at the stagecoach station with a rifle on his lap, and Christopher standing in the doorway of the General Store across the street from the jailhouse. He knew that if he had back up, this guy must have some as well.

"What problem do you have with me?" he inquired, trying to sound innocent. The weasel-like man wasn't buying it.

"Name's Buford Tatum. You busted into our place and shot us all up. You killed my brother Sirus." 

Damn. This guy was a Tatum as well. If he could remember correctly, this was the slowest of the three men that he had shot at the hideout, so that should help him. Of course, Zel didn't doubt he had an ace up his sleeve.

"I did, but you four had kidnapped my friend and were threatening her with further harm. If you have a problem, it's with me, not my friend or her father," he said, indicating Phil, who was finally beginning to stir.

"I can have a problem with whoever I want! You. Him," he nudged the prone form of Phil, and Zel wanted to shoot him for that alone. "Or even her."

Anger bloomed in his chest at that comment, and all thoughts of negotiating disappeared.

"Then let's go," Zel taunted, his voice low.

Zelgadiss took a step to the side, and held his hands lightly above his pistols. The other man mirrored his actions, stepping away from Phil, and his spurs chimed with the movement. Zel's eyes narrowed at the sound. 

A breeze blew dust across the street as a dog went running by, but they ignored it. The world did not exist outside of these two men, and their attention was riveted solely to each other's eyes. For several long seconds, neither of them moved until somewhere, a door slammed shut.

The man pulled out his gun first, but Zel's actions were faster. He drew, cocked the hammer, and fired his revolver before the other man could even shoot. Buford stood, stunned, for several seconds before red blossomed on his shirt, right in the middle of his chest. He raised his gun and shot back, but the bullet went wide, hitting the dirt several feet away.

Suddenly, it sounded as if the whole town was ablaze with gunfire as several gun barrels were aimed in his direction. Zel jumped and rolled out of the way, shooting behind him as he ran to take cover in the alleyway next to the jailhouse. A groan caught his attention, and he realized that he had left the Marshall lying out in the street. Amelia would never forgive him.

He pulled out the other pistol and cocked both guns, holding them ready by his head. Leaping out into the street, he pulled off a couple of shots, catching a man who was coming up the walk square in the face, splattering blood and brains across the walkway. Zel dashed over to Phil, and the ground lit up with tiny dust plumes from where the bullets had just missed him. Grabbing a handful of the Marshall's vest, he unceremoniously dragged Phil to safety behind a water trough. 

Gourry had taken cover behind several crates that were out in front of the stagecoach station, and he used his rifle to pick off the couple of men who were peppering them with bullets from above. Quickly sighting down the barrel, he targeted a man who was on the roof of a building across the street, and shot. The gunman clutched at his chest before he fell from the roof to the ground below.

Lina was not so subtle. Noticing a dozen horses that didn't belong to anyone in town tied up at a rail in front of the inn, she sliced through their reins and fired off a shot behind them. The frightened animals stampeded down the street, kicking up a huge cloud of dust as they went. Unbeknownst to their attackers, Lina had mounted one of the horses, and in the brief lull in gunfire caused by the strange event, she found and shot three of the gunmen as she thundered by.

Zel grinned at her unconventional tactics, but now was not the time for appreciation. His eyes searched out his targets through the dust, and found at least five of them left, three of them still engaged with Gourry and Christopher. Peeking out over the top of the water trough, he aimed and shot. One man in the alleyway across from him fell as his bullet caught him in the chest. 

Several shots whizzed by his head, and he ducked behind the trough again to reload his guns. While he was shaking out the empty shells, he froze. Boots appeared in his vision. He lifted his gaze and found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol. He couldn't believe it. This guy had somehow snuck up on him. 

A gunshot sounded, and he flinched, but there was no burning, no pain. Zel looked up, and the man opened his mouth. Blood spilled out of his mouth in a gurgle, and he fell with a dull thud to the ground before him. Lina was there at the back of the alley, sitting on her stolen horse, holding her smoking gun. Zel touched his hat to his friend, and she returned the gesture before kicking the horse forward towards more action.

Zel took the fallen man's gun and returned fire, bailing out Christopher, who was pinned behind a wagon. The man he shot fell back into the barbershop window with the loud crash of broken glass. It seemed as if that was the last of them, but a scream from the Inn broke through his thoughts. While their attention was on the rest of the town, someone had been trying to sneak into the Inn.

Martina was slung over a man's shoulder, but she had managed to grab tightly onto the doorframe, and was kicking and screaming. With careful aim, Zel hit the man's leg, and he collapsed. Martina fell on top of him, effectively knocking him out.

The gunfire finally ceased when Christopher shot the final one who was still coming up from the other side of town. There must have been about twelve of the Tatum boys against the four of them. It was a miracle they were still alive. Zelgadiss stood and went to check on his friends.

A sudden gunshot to his left startled him, and he ducked, but instead of a bullet hissing by his head, a chunk of the top of the General Store's façade fell to the ground. Zel looked up and found that they missed one of the men on the roof. He had his hands raised in surrender. Gourry stepped into the street from Zel's right to keep a bead on the man.

That was when Amelia emerged from the jailhouse, holding a smoking rifle, and she rushed to her father's side. Zelgadiss regarded her curiously while she untied Phil and tried to see to his wounds. Lina arrived to help her bring him back to the Inn, where Martina was hogtying the man who had tried to kidnap her. Christopher and Gourry rounded up the injured and any of the surviving members of the gang. Slowly, townsfolk began to emerge from the safety of their homes. 

Left alone in the street, Zelgadiss picked up Amelia's discarded rifle and came to the realization that she had saved his life yet again.

***********************

"I am not running away!"

Lina shook her head at her friend's stubbornness. 

"It's not running away, Amelia. It's called being cautious."

Phil squeezed his daughter's hand. They were in his room where he was resting, Amelia sitting dutifully by his side, Lina at the foot of the bed, and Gourry and Zelgadiss standing in the doorway. Each one had their respective guns at their sides, Amelia's "no-gun" rule being set aside for the time being. The town doctor had bandaged up Phil's wounds, all of which turned out to be relatively minor cuts and bruises.

"My daughter, I don't want you in danger…" Although Phil was injured, his voice was as strong as ever, and he boomed his concern for his youngest child. 

Martina peeked into the room, trying to hear more about what was going on. Did anyone think to ask her what she thought? Zelgadiss shifted on his feet and blocked her view. Damn him, shutting her out like that. She trudged back to the common room, muttering about the unfairness of it all.

"So you're sending me away from everyone who can protect me?"

"No. I'm sending you somewhere you'll be safer. Just until we get things here handled."

"But…"

Zelgadiss chose that moment to voice his opinion. "Amelia, I don't like the thought of leaving any more than you do, but this time, I think they're right. Those men weren't trying to kidnap Martina. This is worse than what I told you about. They're also after you as well."

"But… Where will we go? What if they decide to follow us? Or worse, what if the Tatums decide not to follow us, but hurt Daddy?" she tried, fishing for a problem that they hadn't thought of.

Lina was the one who answered.

"You'll go to Sweetwater to my sister's place. I sent a post to let her know you were coming. If they follow you there, they'll be in for a bigger surprise than what they got here. And if they decide to attack Rock Creek, they'll have the army to worry about."

"Army?"

Zelgadiss explained, "They attacked Phil, who is a Federal Marshall, and they killed two deputies. We've already sent word to Fort Laramie informing them of what happened and requesting a detachment to be sent out."

"So, if it's so safe here, then why can't we stay?"

Phil appeared uncomfortable.

"There's a possibility that the army won't be able to get here in time," he finally said. "The Tatums can come back at any time. The safest place for you is away from here. I've deputized Mister Gourry and Miss Lina, so they will have to stay to protect the town. I've deputized Mister Zelgadiss as well, so it will be easier for him to act in my place to protect you."

Lina placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, and said as gently as she could, "I've packed some things for you. You both should ride out tonight."

Amelia stood, but instead of complaining or bawling, she held her head high.

"Very well then. Miss Lina, Mister Gourry. Please take care of my daddy." She gave each of them a hug before turning to her father. Ignoring the aches and pains, Phil wrapped Amelia in a tight bear hug, kissing her on the forehead as she returned the embrace. 

"Be safe, Daughter. And be strong for me."

"I'll try to be as strong as you are."

"No. Be stronger."

"I love you, Daddy!"

"I love you, my darling Amelia!"

Holding back her tears, Amelia left the room and went upstairs to prepare to flee her home. Fifteen minutes later, and dressed warmly for the road, she met Zelgadiss at the barn, holding the reins of both horses. She threw her saddlebags over the saddle horn and mounted Champion, turning back once to bid a silent farewell to her family and her friends.

"Amelia." Zelgadiss nudged his horse next to hers, and she could see the defeat in his eyes as well. "Let's go."

*******************************

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed! **Libraryfrog** (Geez, I can't say thank you enough. If I can make Zel and Ame M.F.E.O., then I've done my job. ~_^ I know it's like re-reading the same old thing, but I'm glad you're still enjoying it! *hugs*), **Ichiban Victory** (Thanks, and thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, even though it was that ever-dreaded set-up chapter. I had initially wanted this fic to be a 3-act story and be fairly simple, but it soon ended up being five, and a whopping five at that. *sweatdrops* I guess my mouth started to run, and I couldn't stop it. ~_^), **Otaku M-chan** (Hey, I'm glad I can bring a bit of the Old West into people's lives! I'm happy that you liked it.), **jesphoenix05 **(I'm blushing, really. Well, since this story is complete, then you can expect weekly updates on this – for another three or four chapters, at least. Thanks!), **Lina Gabriev** (Geez, don't you hate having to wait for the computer? I know I do. ~_^ Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters. BTW, I liked the additions to your story. Nice downtime but ominous foreboding, too!), **Valk** (Thanks! And you're right, of course! That was only the first of a five-act story, so we'll get to see much more of the characters. And as for Xelloss and Filia? They'll show up eventually. ^_^ *hugs*), **Komillia** (Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're enjoying the taste of the Old West. Keep an eye out in a couple more chapters for those two! ~_^), **Filing Sloth** (Wow, thank you so much! It's good to hear that I've done a good job with the transition into western. As for the research, I'm a bit of a Nut when it comes to those kinds of details. I know that I can make it up, but afterwards, I obsess until I look it up and change it to make it right. -_-;; It's all worth it, though, if you all enjoy!).

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	3. Act 3

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 3**

// Indicates translated words //

Their midnight-ride through the high plains brought them close to the Cooper's homestead, and Amelia slowed Champion to a slow trot as they passed by the trail that would lead up to the burnt wreckage of what was once a home. The moon was not quite full, but it cast enough light to illuminate their path and their surroundings. That was where it all began.

She felt the world begin to close in on her at the memory of what happened. Just beyond that rise was where those poor people once lived…

"Come on, Amelia," Zelgadiss whispered, saving her from being hemmed in by her own thoughts. He wheeled Lightning around to face her; his expression betrayed his feelings. Irritated and disgusted with having to flee, he believed that this was a bad idea. He wanted to stay and fight rather than skulk out of town into hiding, but their situation would not allow it. He understood her feeling of helplessness: there was nothing they could do. 

Amelia nodded and, without a glance back at the homestead, continued on. What's done is done, she thought.

They rode on though the night, pausing every couple of hours to rest and water the horses. Amelia proved to be tougher than Zelgadiss thought, not once complaining or asking to take a break, though he was beginning to feel the fatigue of being awake and active for twenty-four hours straight. He brought them to a dimple in the land where a small stand of trees grew around a small pond. It would provide them with some measure of cover for a while.

"We'll rest here for a couple of hours, but we have to be moving again just after dawn, so there'll be no fire," he stated, already removing the horse's saddle. "The pond is standing water, so don't drink any of it."

Amelia nodded dumbly, more tired than she wanted to admit. She wasn't very thirsty anyway. She set to removing her saddlebags and bedroll, and then removed Champion's bridle and saddle. While she opened up her bedroll, Zelgadiss hobbled the horses so they wouldn't run off while he and Amelia rested. By the time he returned to the spot where he left her, she was already asleep on her bedroll, her head resting at an awkward angle on her saddle. Following her example, he lay down to rest, covered his face with his hat, and immediately dozed off.

***************************

Zel awoke with a start, pulling out one of his guns and sweeping it in a careful arc around their makeshift camp. Nothing. His eyes took in the surroundings, and he scrambled to his feet. Amelia's saddle and bedroll were gone. Champ and Lightning were missing as well. Before he could panic, though, Amelia emerged from the trees, the two horses following her obediently and looking well pleased with themselves. 

"What's wrong, Mister Zelgadiss?" the girl asked in a hushed voice upon seeing the gun in his hand and the frantic expression on his face.

Rather than answering her, he demanded, "Where were you?"

Her brows knit together, and she shoved his horse's reins into his hands.

"I went to get the horses. They were over there," she said, indicating the trees. "I brushed them both down and got Champ ready. You were still sleeping on your saddle, so I couldn't get your horse ready. You should really stop being so rude, Mister Zelgadiss." 

With that, she mounted her horse and went to wait for him up at the rim of the depression. Amelia refused to look at him, but instead, focused her gaze on searching the surrounding plains for any sign of pursuit. "I probably won't get any thanks for this, either," she grumbled to herself, fighting the urge to cross her arms in irritation.

Zel cursed under his breath at being berated, yet again, and got himself and his horse prepped for another long day of riding. Even Lightning seemed to give him a reprimanding look. "Shut up," he muttered and mounted his horse to join Amelia.

Without a word, he led, and she followed. 

So, they were both being stubborn.

After several hours of riding in what seemed like circles, Amelia kept rubbing the back of her neck, trying to work out the crick that had been there since she awoke that morning. She hated tension, and it felt as if all her worries and woes were manifesting themselves into her neck and shoulders. What would she give right then for a soak in a nice tub of hot water, or a good massage at that place near her sister's saloon in San Francisco…?

"You shouldn't sleep on your saddle like that anymore," Zelgadiss commented, pointing at her neck. He had drifted back to ride next to her while she was daydreaming. "Next time we make camp, you can roll up my blanket to use as a pillow."

"Thank you, Mister Zelgadiss."

Rather than riding back to his place ahead of her, he remained by her side. "I don't think I ever got to thank you for saving my life again, Amelia."

"Again?" she wondered.

"In town," he clarified. "You shot at that man on the roof. I know that took a lot, considering what you've been through. I just wanted you to know that… well, I'm much obliged."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and smiled to herself. He actually thanked her, in his own way. He was so handsome riding there next to her, so tall and mysterious with his hat pulled down low on his head so she could barely see his striking aquamarine eyes. She loved seeing his face, but she also couldn't help but be affected by how dashing he was when he was being the bounty hunter…

Amelia squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. No! That was enough of that! She couldn't swoon over her friend like she used to. He just saw her as a little girl, nothing more. That much had been made clear to her long ago.

After they had helped Filia and the others, she had asked Zelgadiss to return with her to Rock Creek in the hopes that he would stay and maybe fall in love with her. It was a childish wish, she knew, but a girl could still hope. He had said that he would think about it, but he never did come back until a week ago. Zelgadiss had apparently not cared enough to return earlier.

"Are you okay, Amelia?" the object of her reverie asked, startling her back into reality.

She plastered a smile back on her face and nodded, but Zelgadiss could tell that something was obviously distressing her. Maybe she was still agonizing over the man she killed. "You should try to get over it," he said, trying to be helpful.

"Excuse me?" Her eyes went wide and the color drained from her face. Was he telling her to get over her feelings for him?

His eyes were on the distant horizon. "Believe me. It's something that you'll come to accept, Amelia. I know you have a romanticized view of the world, but you're also a smart woman. Don't let this get you down. You'll be able to get past it and live."

Her heart sank even more, and she gripped her reins tightly to hold back her tears. Champion, feeling the bit pull back a little, stopped and whickered to Lightning. She pulled up as well, and Zelgadiss turned back to regard Amelia, wondering why she was just sitting there. It looked like she was about to cry.

"Amelia?" He steered his horse next to her, and reached over to lift her chin with his hand. Tears streaked her beautiful, but sad, face, and his heart clenched at the sight. Turning his hand to cup her cheek, he wiped at the tears with his thumb. "How many times will you have to hear it to believe it?" he said in a near whisper. "If you hadn't killed that man, I don't want to even think about what might have happened to you. That thought scares me more than anything."

She stared at him, her tears slowly ebbing as she came to the realization that they had been referring to different things, and with the way he was gazing at her… 

Zelgadiss had trapped her heart again.

With a defeated sigh, she realized that her crush had never left her. All the potential suitors who strolled into her Inn, day in and day out, couldn't compare to the scarred young man whom she had been foolish enough to give her heart to. The year away from him only served to make her childhood crush an old dull ache, softened by the passing days and the absence of his presence. She believed that the ache had become a fondness, to be remembered in quiet moments with a sigh, but she soon discovered that it was merely the seed of something bigger. 

After only a couple of days back in her life, Zelgadiss had made her fall for him all over again. Her heart sank a little at the thought that if they made it out of this mess alive, he would probably leave her again. She was seventeen, with no hope of matrimony in sight, all because she was in love with a man who didn't feel the same way about her.

That's right. He didn't return her feelings, yet his hand remained tenderly on her cheek. Somehow, although it felt right, on some level, it just seemed wrong. With a nervous giggle, Amelia wiped at her eyes and, to Zel's surprise, backed Champion away from him. "I'm okay, really, Mister Zelgadiss. I'll be fine. We should get going, right?"

He nodded and wondered about her sudden change in demeanor. It was like night and day. With a shrug, he tugged on Lightning's reins and continued on, weaving his way through the scrub.

Amelia hung back for a moment and replayed his words in her head, this time, with the correct context. A sudden revelation struck her. He said that what happened to her mattered to him. SHE mattered to him.

And somehow, knowing that she was important to Zelgadiss was enough for her.

***************************

Zelgadiss led the way across the rolling scrubland, going purely by memory and feel. Three days passed, riding almost all day long, stopping only long enough for the horses to rest and for the riders to get a couple hours worth of sleep. The direct road to Sweetwater would undoubtedly be watched, and though he said he would take Amelia directly to Luna, he would have to take her the roundabout way. It was difficult trying to cover their tracks completely, but he did what he could, doubling back over their tracks, walking down streams, and taking narrow gravel paths. He could only hope to delay being caught, and hopefully by then, they would be within striking distance of safety with Lina's sister.

It seemed that Lina had guessed that Zel would not take the direct route. Since he and Amelia were avoiding any town or settlement, they relied solely on the week's worth of dried beef and biscuits that Lina had packed, and they were suddenly very grateful for their friend's foresight. There were no longer any disagreements or ill feelings between the two travelers, only a general sense of duty. Zelgadiss threw himself into ensuring their safe arrival at their destination. Amelia sought to make the most of her time with her friend.

Although they were on the run from trouble that was almost certainly following, it was clear that the young woman was still trying to enjoy herself. She had accompanied Lina on enough of her journeys that camping out and fending for herself came naturally to her. After their first night of travel, they each took turns keeping watch while the other rested. 

It was in those moments, late at night when he was supposed to be dozing off, that Zelgadiss would watch Amelia: her calm face tilted up to look at the stars or to sing softly to herself. She had grown up so much while he was away. He had meant to return to Rock Creek after only a few months, but on his way back, he caught wind of a rumor about the Red Priest, and he spent the next few months chasing down a ghost. The thought of once again seeing Amelia had become a gentle dream that he tended to cling to at night, as he fell asleep alone under the stars.

Zelgadiss' gaze never strayed from her face as he lay on his bedroll, and a sense of peace settled over his mind by the time sleep finally claimed him. Amelia, in turn, took Zelgadiss' words to heart and used his blanket as a pillow, silently breathing in the scent that was purely Zel.

This journey was quickly becoming a balm to each of their spirits.

***************************

Calm, uneventful. If there was anything in his life, it was not to be long described by those two words. On the fifth day of their journey, Zelgadiss knew that they were within a couple days' ride of Sweetwater, and, of course, he woke up with that feeling of unease in his gut. In his years of traveling, he had learned to heed the subconscious warning. With that in mind, Zelgadiss stood at the edge of a plateau that looked down over the path that would take them to the town, as he thought of what their next move would be. All was silent save a crow cawing out somewhere in the distance.

"If we even get there, do you think it will be safe for us to go into town, Mister Zelgadiss? There might be some kind of trap…"

He turned to Amelia in surprise: she had just voiced the same concern he was having. His attention, however, was diverted by the way the early morning light tinged her hair with a violet hue and made her eyes a more stunning shade of blue. There was a smudge of dirt across her nose, but he actually found it endearing, and even in the clothes of a boy, she looked very pretty. Zelgadiss was brought back to reality when he noticed that her features were tinged with an anxiety that had not been present over the last few days. So she was feeling it as well. Perhaps this was a sign…

The rock at their feet popped suddenly as a bullet ricocheted off of it, and Zel pulled Amelia to the ground.

"Shit. They've found us! Come on!"

Without looking back, he grabbed her hand and ran back to their mounts a few feet away. Luckily, both horses were used to traveling quickly over uneven terrain, and Zelgadiss led Amelia down a switchback on the other side of the plateau to the streambed below. 

He never really thought that they wouldn't be tracked; he only hoped to buy them more time. Apparently, it wasn't enough. There was no way they could go to Sweetwater now with the route cut off. As he weighed his options, his mind alighted upon an idea. The question was: Would it work? He couldn't be sure if they would be able to make it there in time, but all they could do is try.

Zelgadiss was familiar with the area, which was a strong advantage, but the men chasing them had the advantage of numbers. A gunshot to their left made them duck in their saddles. He fought the impulse to veer away from danger. Instead, he stayed his course and continued on. He did not want to be "herded." 

The brush was getting denser the farther north they had traveled, and now they were galloping through thick scrub. Another shot sounded to their left, but he kept riding. He took the chance to glance back to make sure Amelia was alright, and he could see the grim determination in her eyes as she leaned low over Champ's neck to try to keep up with him. 

"Don't let them separate us!" he yelled, and she kicked her horse forward until they were almost next to each other. 

They wove through the bushes and trees, Zel hoping that their horses could outrun the men who were following. They were approaching a canyon that would lead out to a valley and a forest that offered more cover. Perhaps they could lose them until they reached safety. His eyes searched out the fork in the stream that would lead them to the canyon; he pulled hard right when he saw it, bumping into Amelia, but she quickly controlled her horse and kept riding. They continued on for several more minutes following the stream, when he realized his mistake.

Pulling Lightning to a scraping stop, he cursed his luck. Amelia ground to a halt next to him, her wide eyes on the immediate problem. Zel had led them into a box canyon.

"Oh… no…" she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

He groaned. "This is the right canyon. There's a valley just on the other side. Dammit! There must have been a landslide…" The canyon had collapsed at the far end, cutting off any hopes of escape. "Maybe if we double back, we can take the other fork before they find…"

The sound of hoof beats approaching reached his ears, and he knew that they were trapped.

"Can we climb up the rubble, Mister Zelgadiss? We might have to leave the horses, but it's a chance."

Zel nodded, and they kicked their mounts to the far end of the canyon, but seeing it up close squashed any hopes of that. Loose rocks and gravel filled the areas between large boulders, and it was highly unstable. They would have a difficult time just to get even halfway up the wall, but even if they could, they would be easy targets for their pursuers.

"There's nothing we can do, Amelia," he told her grimly, and he drew both guns, checking that they were loaded. He replaced them in his holsters, and then drew his rifle, cocked the lever, and rested it over his forearm. "We can only charge them and hope to take them by surprise. I'll try to buy you enough time to get through…"

"_What_? And leave you behind? I don't want to hear it! We're staying together, no matter what happens!"

"I promised your father that I would make sure you stay safe, Amelia!"

"I won't be safe without you! Even if I get past them, I don't know where I am or where I need to go!"

He paused. Well, that made sense, he supposed. With cold determination, he tugged his hat lower on his head.

"Stay behind me then," he warned, and then kneed Lightning into a position out in the open, where he pulled his rifle up to keep it loosely trained on the opening of the canyon. Amelia dutifully stayed back, a serious and resolute expression on her face as they awaited the men who wanted to kill them.

Her leg ached dreadfully, but she refused to look at it. She was sure she was bleeding all over the place, but there was no way she could stop to bandage it up. That first shot up on the plateau had skipped off the rock and grazed her left leg. She had been too frightened at the time to notice that she had been hit, but after several minutes of riding hard through the bushes, the throb in her leg became hard to ignore. When it felt as if the bleeding had finally stopped, Zel had inadvertently rammed hard into her, and a fresh gush of blood trickled down her leg.

And now, there were the men who were hunting them, riding up the canyon towards them. Six, no seven of them, all looking like Tatums. Fourteen guns to Zel's three. Amelia did not want to be the damsel in distress; she wanted to be the hero. Suddenly, she longed for her own little pistol, but that was probably still lying on the floor of the hovel in the hills.

"What's your business with us?" Zelgadiss demanded, trying to sound important. He pushed his duster back to show his other guns and the tin star the Marshall gave him before they left.

"Well, Deputy," one of the men drawled, clearly another greasy-haired weasel-like Tatum. "I think you and the little missy there have something to answer to back home."

"Your boys only answered to what they did to her," he growled, kneeing Lightning to the side so he could get a better shot. "I'm warning you. Leave us be, and you won't be hurt."

"You don't mess with the Tatums, boy, if you know what's good for you."

Zelgadiss glared at the group. "_You don't mess with me!_" Before anyone could act, he pulled his rifle up and shot into the bushes to the right. A body fell out of the scrub to the ground, a rifle still clenched in his grasp. The man groaned, clutching helplessly at his chest, and then he was eerily still. Zelgadiss cocked the lever of his rifle and aimed the gun at the leader. "I'm not telling you again!"

Brains seemed to be lacking, for the Tatum still drew his gun, but suddenly, black feathers sprouted from his chest. Another arrow buried itself next to the first one, and the man fell off his horse to the ground, arrowheads protruding from his back. Everyone's eyes darted around, and suddenly, men with black feathers in their hair and black war paint on their faces began to melt out of the scrub and from the top of the canyon. Arrows rained down out of the sky over their pursuers, and suddenly, Zel was at Amelia's side, holding tightly to her reins to prevent her from bolting, as screams began to fill the air.

If she could remember correctly, from what her Daddy and her Uncle told her about the lands around their home, the area they were in now was Crow territory. And if the rumors were true, the Crows rarely left anyone alive and rarely took prisoners.

"Amelia, you're bleeding." She looked up to Zelgadiss who was still next to her. He appeared so calm despite the circumstances. She nodded, and he reached down to rummage in his saddlebag. 

What was he doing? Couldn't they think he was reaching for a weapon? No attack came, and she was sure she was delirious from blood loss. Looking at her leg for the first time, she was surprised by how much blood covered her thigh. The only thing she remembered about Zel wrapping a makeshift bandage around her leg was the jolt of pain when he tightened it, and she barely remembered him dismounting his horse and jumping up behind her.

Dark faces entered her vision, and she remembered Zelgadiss whispering in her ear before she passed out.

"They won't hurt us, Amelia. But you have to pretend to be my bride in order for that to work. Trust me…"

Of course I trust you, Mister Zelgadiss…

************************

Amelia awoke when a low voice spoke in her ear. She snapped her head up, and Zel narrowly escaped being head butted. Crow warriors surrounded them on all sides, and Amelia regarded them with wide, frightened eyes. Zelgadiss still had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and she took some comfort in his presence. She trusted him to know what he was doing.

Their surroundings became more visible as the men around them thinned out, and she realized that this must have been the valley that he was talking about. A forest encompassed them, and she could hear a stream or a river running somewhere nearby. Every now and again, her eyes found black feathers tied to branches in the trees. Zelgadiss had been leading them to the Crow people?

"Do you remember what I told you, Amelia?"

"Yes, Mister Zelgadiss."

He chuckled in her ear, causing shivers to race up her spine, and her face turned pink.

"No, Amelia, you're going to have to stop calling me 'Mister' if this is going to work."

"Yes, Zelgadiss." She liked the way that sounded.

"Good."

Soon, they had entered an Indian village, and they were being gawked at with what appeared to be a certain degree of awe. The warriors that had escorted them dismounted and were greeted by women and children with joy when they reached the center of the village. They soon parted to allow three people to step forward: a weathered and intimidating man stood waiting before one of the larger tipis, a beautiful woman to his left, and a grey-haired, wizened old man to his right.

Zelgadiss pulled his horse to a stop and immediately dismounted. Amelia threw her right leg over the front of the saddle and allowed Zel to help her down, settling her weight on her good leg before he let her go.

"Stay here," he ordered her.

She nodded and tried to concentrate on standing up. Her head was swimming, but she forced herself to pay attention. Zel approached the Chief, hands held open to his side, and then bowed before him in respect.

//So, the Chimera has returned to his nest,// the Chief said in a gruff voice. Zel straightened, and the Chief pointed to the man on his right. //Our Shaman saw your coming for many days now.//

The older man stepped forward, a gnarled walking stick in his hand, and waved a black crow feather in slow circles in front of Zel's face.

//I saw the Chimera returning to the Crow, bringing with him the Rabbit,// he indicated Amelia, //and being pursued by darkness. And so, we sent out warriors to beat back the darkness and guide our lost Crow home.//

The woman was the next to speak. //We have missed our lost Crow. Welcome home, Chimera,// she said in a tender voice.

Zel bowed his head, and in a strong voice answered, //Many thanks for your help, wise ones. And I have missed you all as well.// With a grin, he raised his head, and the tension that had surrounded them all melted away when the three elders returned his smile.

Amelia had watched the interaction with trepidation, unsure of what was being said and what was being done, especially when the old man pointed at her, but when Zelgadiss answered them in their own tongue and they had smiled…

Suddenly, a great whoop of excitement rose up around her, and the throng of people began crowding them, moving towards Zelgadiss. Amelia was about to panic, but then she saw something strange which almost caused her to gape. 

Zelgadiss was smiling widely, and hugging people left and right. It was so out of his usual stoic and grim character that she had to wonder if she was actually dreaming. Suddenly feeling quite claustrophobic, when he disappeared from her view, she carefully stepped over to Champion and held tightly onto his saddle. The horse stamped the ground in irritation, but otherwise did not move.

A hand at her waist startled her, but Zel, knowing her habit of lashing out when frightened, pulled her into a quick hug before she could hit him.

"I'm sorry if I made you worry, Amelia," he said in her ear. He released her, but kept his hand about her waist. "These people are my friends, and I want to introduce you to them."

Having him at her side calmed her, and she limped alongside him to meet the three elders. They introduced themselves: the first man as the Chief, Eagle-over-the-River, the woman as Laughing Brook, his wife, and the older man as the Shaman, Fox-from-the-Fire. And then there were names and faces galore swimming in her vision and in her mind as she tried to comprehend everything that was happening. Luckily, the chief's wife noticed the queasy look on her face.

//Chimera! Your wife is injured, and she does not look well. Bring her to me and we shall give her time to rest,// she admonished.

Zelgadiss only then appeared to notice the beads of sweat rolling down her face, and he tightened his hand on her waist.

"I'm sorry, Amelia. Let's go with Laughing Brook, and she will see to your leg."

The girl nodded again and allowed herself to be led away.

After several hours, Amelia was exhausted. Upon her plea for him not to leave her, Zelgadiss had stayed dutifully by her side, even when the older woman ordered the girl to remove her clothes so she could tend to the wound. Extremely fatigued and beyond caring about decency by that point, she had done as she was told, and dressed gingerly in a borrowed buffalo hide dress, much to the dismay of a certain young man who was trying to look the other way. True to her name, Laughing Brook laughed in delight at Zel's discomfort.

As it turned out, the bullet had not merely grazed her leg as she had initially thought; it was still embedded inside her thigh, but, thankfully, the bullet was quite shallow. Zel held her hand as she bore the intense pain of the extraction, cleaning, and bandaging admirably. For the pain, Laughing Brook gave her a bitter drink, which was made of willow bark steeped in hot water. Amelia took the proffered drink gratefully and then fell into a fitful sleep.

Later that night, after allowing Amelia time to rest for a bit, Zelgadiss led her to the small celebration that had been ordered upon his return. She was surprised how comfortable the loose-fitting buffalo hide dress was, and was happy to see that Zel was just as comfortable in the loose trousers and shirt made of the same material. The hat that had been on his head since they left Rock Creek was gone, and she could easily see his face once again. He seemed so calm and at peace, but every now and again, a shadow would cloud his features, and she knew that he was not one to relax for very long.

"Do you think they'll send more people out, Zelgadiss?" she asked him after seeing a frown appear on his face. She toyed with one of the beaded decorations on her dress, but her eyes were on him. "I wouldn't want to involve your friends in our problem any more than they already are."

He glanced at her in surprise at hearing the easy way his name rolled off her tongue, and then turned his attention back on the celebration in front of them. He was seated cross-legged on the ground and she was next to him, her legs stretched out in front of her. 

"I don't think they will," he said finally. "Hopefully, they'll think we were killed along with the others. At the very least, they won't want to challenge the Crows." She watched him thoughtfully for a moment, but when she opened her mouth to ask a question, he placed his hand on hers. "I'll tell you later, Amelia. Just try to enjoy this for a bit."

She smiled, and they sat watching the men and women dancing around the fire. Zel explained to her what they were doing and what it symbolized, what they were saying, as well as who was doing what. Amelia watched in rapt fascination, loving the stories and the songs when he translated them, but ever aware that throughout the night, he never once released her hand.

**************************

He slowly stirred into consciousness, vaguely aware of his surroundings. He was warm and comfortable, a sweet smell coming from the soft fur he was curled around. He had actually slept well, considering they were in… a… tipi…

Zelgadiss opened an eye, and came to the sudden, crashing realization that he was curled around Amelia. His face was buried in her black hair, her hand was holding his firmly about her waist, and they were cuddled together under a thick warm fur. 

It was still dark outside, so he gently untangled himself from Amelia's grasp, and crawled out of the flap, which, thankfully, was right next to their sleeping place. The Shaman, who was the only other occupant of the tipi, had not stirred from his spot on the other side.

The village was asleep. He stepped lightly through the tipis to the area where they kept the horses, and he briefly checked on Lightning and Champion. They had been cared for and pampered, and the blood that had stained Champ's white coat had been washed away. The horses whickered a sleepy greeting to him, and then resumed their dozing. Zelgadiss continued his stroll, until he came to the nearby stream, where he sat on a rock and tried to clear his mind.

While he had been narrating to Amelia earlier, she had placed her head gently on his shoulder, and it was only a matter of minutes before she was asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he allowed her to rest, hoping she would be able to regain her strength soon. They would either need to move on in the next few days, or at least send word to Luna of their whereabouts. Of course, now that he was back with his family and friends, he truly was loath to leave so quickly.

When it came time for them to go to sleep, he went automatically to the Shaman's tipi, carrying a sleeping Amelia, but upon entering it, Fox-from-the-Fire pointed to one section made up just for them… 

He wondered how she would take it if she knew that she would have to sleep with him again. Maybe he could tell Fox-from-the-Fire the truth…

//Chimera?//

He turned around, and saw Dancing Leaf standing nearby, looking as lovely as ever. She was the girl who had helped him through the roughest part of his recovery when he was younger, and she had remained his friend through all these years.

"Hello, Dancing Leaf."

"You want me to try my English." He smiled, and she sat beside him on the rock, folding her hands delicately in her lap. Her long black hair fell well past her waist. "So, you found a wife?"

Zel suppressed the desire to cough. "Umm… Yes, I did."

"She is paler than others of your people. Is she sickly?"

"No. She was sick and then she was shot, so she isn't feeling well." He somehow felt the need to defend Amelia. "She's actually very healthy normally, and very courageous as well. She can be obstinate at times, but she puts up with my stubbornness, so I guess that's saying something. Of course, I don't quite understand how she can enjoy my company as much as she does, but I appreciate that fact," he said, more to himself than his companion.

The young woman just stared blankly at him as he rambled. When it was clear that he had finished, she said simply, "She is very pretty."

"Yes, she is," he agreed, then realized where she was going with this conversation. She once had a bit of a crush on him when they were younger, but she was supposed to be promised to someone else. "You are pretty, as well, Dancing Leaf, but…"

"But you love her," she answered for him.

He wanted desperately to tell her the truth, that there was nothing between them at all. Well, perhaps a mutual attraction, and a strong sense of attachment, but love? How could he even think about love when he had so much he still needed to do? Someone he still needed to find…

Dancing Leaf took his silence for assent, and she placed her hand on his. Surprising him by kissing him lightly on the lips, she whispered, "I am glad for you, Chimera. Find happiness with her, but if you cannot, I will be here for you..."

A noise startled them, but one of the horses nearby stamped its hoof and whickered, and Zelgadiss was extremely grateful for the interruption. With a laugh, he stood, putting some distance between them. Dancing Leaf apparently got the hint, for she remained sitting on the rock with a sad smile, and they quietly reminisced through the night.

**********************

"Good morning, daughter," the Shaman greeted Amelia when she awoke the next morning. He left the flap of the tipi open, letting the sunlight stream in. She squinted at the brightness, and held a hand at her forehead to shade her eyes.

"You… You speak English, Mister Shaman?" she asked, sitting up on the fur. Zelgadiss had apparently risen early and was nowhere to be seen. She tried to hide her displeasure.

"Chimera taught me when he lived among us for so many years."

"The way you taught him your language?"

He nodded slowly, and then beckoned her to come with him outside. She stood gingerly, amazed that her leg was not in as much pain as the previous day, and she followed him to sit outside. The Shaman dropped down to sit cross-legged before his tipi, and Amelia lowered herself to sit beside him.

The village was a bustling community, and Amelia couldn't help but smile at all the activity, the playing children and the happy faces as the men and women worked. They were sewing clothes, stretching meat across drying racks, playing games, cooking something that smelled great, and all the while keeping watchful eyes on the smaller children that were running around. This was nothing like the stories she had heard of the Crow back in town, and she knew that those tales were nothing but rumors and ignorance. She didn't doubt their fierceness in battle, but their regular life was more peaceful than her life in town.

It was wonderful.

"Mister Shaman?" she asked as she watched a little girl braiding another smaller girl's hair. Sisters perhaps.

"Yes, Rabbit?"

"Excuse me?" she looked at him, clearly unsure of this moniker.

He smiled, laying a leathery hand gently on her head. "Your spirit, my daughter. I can see it here." He pointed to her chest. "And so, I call you 'Rabbit.'"

"Oh." She thought on that for a moment, liking the name, but unclear of its meaning. After several minutes, her mind returned to her original thought, and she asked, "Is there anything I can help out with in the village? I'm not sure what I can do, but I don't like being idle when everyone else is working so hard."

Fox-from-the-Fire regarded her with a degree of pride. Pushing himself to his feet, he helped her up and indicated for her to follow. They walked through the village, people waving and some bowing to them as they passed. She saw Zelgadiss, helping some of the people down at the stream, and their eyes met, but rather than greet or acknowledge him, she continued on when Fox-from-the-Fire held out a hand to her.

He led her to an area where Laughing Brook was sitting with several other women, including a beautiful young woman with long straight black hair. They were working on what appeared to be a buffalo hide. The Shaman said something to the Chief's wife in their language, and Laughing Brook stood and helped her to a comfortable seat on the ground. Fox-from-the-Fire left them.

"Come, Rabbit," Laughing Brook said, placing a corner of the hide on her lap and sitting next to her. "I will show you how."

Amelia threw herself into the task and found that she enjoyed the tiring work. Although she began the day in a bad mood, her dark thoughts soon disappeared with activity. Talking with Laughing Brook was fun, and the older woman was only too glad to explain to her about their people. Amelia discovered that even the women sometimes participated in battles, not only to protect their families and their homes, but some even to gain honor. Laughing Brook, herself, had gone into battle with her husband when a rival tribe attacked them several years ago.

Other women in the group agreed with her, and Amelia was in awe that the women who were sitting here skinning a buffalo hide or caring for children had not only killed in battle, but they were proud of their accomplishments. From these fierce yet gentle women, she soon discovered the difference between killing in battle and outright murder.

************************

At the far end of the village, in a secluded grove, sat a huge rounded structure of animal hides stretched over a wooden frame, and steam rose out from between the seams. Amelia had heard about sweathouses, and that they were places of gathering and prayer of some sort. 

Laughing Brook brought Amelia to the entrance early one morning, four days after they had arrived.

"Come. I will join you inside," Laughing Brook assured.

The knowledge that the Chief's wife would be with her calmed her fears to a degree, and she followed the older woman's example. They disrobed and entered the steaming house, and were immediately engulfed in darkness and an almost suffocating heat. The low glow of heated rocks in the center gave off some light, and Amelia's eyes slowly adjusted to the interior. Laughing Brook led her to a low shelf and had her kneel across from the Shaman, who was already inside, as she took her place next to her. The muscles of her injured thigh complained, but otherwise did not hurt.

The Shaman threw some herbs on the rocks, and a sweet smoke rose up, filling the room with its scent. Amelia began to feel lightheaded. The old man spoke.

"Chimera's return signals a turning point in his life. You, Rabbit, are part of that change."

"Excuse me, Mister Shaman," Amelia interrupted, "Why do you call Zelgadiss 'Chimera?' And what is the meaning behind, 'Rabbit'?"

Rather than becoming angry or irritated, he ladled water over the rocks, sending up plumes of steam.

"Zelgadiss came to us long ago, as he was just entering manhood. He stumbled into our village, the barely healed scars on his body appearing to us as the rocks in the river, bumpy and smooth with ripples across their surface. He was half-crazed with fever, and fought off many of our young bucks before he collapsed. Many believed he was a demon, come to test the might of the Crow. Others believed he was a rock spirit, come to bless our clan. I believed him to be a chimera: a blending of the demon, the rock spirit, and the young man he was. I took him in and healed his wounds, and I gave him the name 'Chimera,' for his spirit showed me his nature.

"When I told you your spirit shows me your nature, your nature is that of the rabbit. You are afraid. Not of where you are, or what will become of you, but of what you have done and what could become of the ones you love." 

He was right. Amelia looked down in shame. To her surprise, in the cleft between her breasts, a knot of steam and smoke were forming, and to her unfocused eyes, it appeared that it was coming out of her. Her chest felt hollow as it detached from her and floated above the steaming rocks. The knot slowly resolved itself into a shape. The shape of a Rabbit. 

"You are unsure of your path," the Shaman explained. "Tell me your dream."

As if she were outside of her own body, she found herself telling him of the dream that had awakened her in a panic during the night, which had prompted Fox-from-the-Fire to request her presence in the sweathouse.

"Zelgadiss and I were traveling together. He seemed so happy. But someone walked by, and then he became angry. This man hit him, and Zelgadiss was knocked down. I picked up his gun that had fallen. I tried to protect him from this man, but I just couldn't bring myself to shoot. Zelgadiss was shot, and his body faded away, all because I couldn't shoot that man."

Those simple words were nothing compared to the actual terrifying nightmare. How could she describe the unending feeling of horror and emptiness that filled her and turned her blood to ice as she watched the man she loved die in her arms? Tears streamed down her face as they had the night before, but this time, she did not feel the loneliness that had smothered her last night. Somehow, she felt strangely calm and at peace with the knowledge of what her fear was and how she could prevent it. The Shaman's voice was soothing.

"You have a battle waging within you, causing your fear. Like night and day, they cannot exist within your heart at the same time. You must overcome your limited beliefs if you are to be at peace."

Limited beliefs? Did he mean the desire not to kill? 

Amelia thought for several minutes on that idea, and slowly, the clouds that had hung over her heart and her mind parted, and she felt as if she could once again breathe. Her grip on her ideal of never killing anyone loosened to a more realistic view. Thinking on it now, if she had to kill someone to ensure that her friends and her family remained safe, she found that she could accept it, just as the women of the village do.

Life was not black and white; it was full of innumerable shades of grey. Tranquility settled over Amelia upon her resolve to live in the grey. She suddenly felt lighter, full of love and joy, and happy in the knowledge that no matter what life threw at her, she would be just fine.

The smoke rabbit, hanging in the air before her, pulsed and stretched. It curled about itself and changed shape, and before long, a tiny smoke hummingbird flitted about the house.

"What happened?" she breathed, knowing that something magical had occurred.

"You have overcome your fear, daughter," the Shaman laughed, and Amelia felt Laughing Brook's hand on hers. "Your spirit shows me your nature. You will no longer be 'Rabbit.' You are renamed 'Hummingbird' after your spirit." 

The smoke bird buzzed happily around her, and she had to suppress a giggle. It flew before her, and landed in her cupped palms before slowly dissolving and returning to its home in her chest. Somehow, she now felt complete. 

"Your spirit is good for Chimera. Stay by his side, and he will be safe." Fox-from-the-Fire's eyes glowed in the dull light cast by the heated rocks before them.

"Is he in danger, Mister Shaman?"

"Only from himself, Hummingbird. Stay with him."

**************************

Amelia was avoiding him.

Zelgadiss was sure of it. He had been happy to see her getting along so well with everyone, but now, after four days, she was still surrounding herself with the women of the village and immersing herself in work. He thought that she was pushing herself too hard, but when he said as much to Laughing Brook, she would hear none of his complaints. The older woman insisted that it was good for Amelia to learn what she could, and that she would heal faster than if she sat in one place all day. 

It also appeared to him that Amelia was not really trying to get his attention or spend any time alone with him either. She was usually asleep by the time he made it to the tipi, and she was awake and gone by the time he awoke in the morning. Zelgadiss found that he did not enjoy her absence at all.

He sat in front of the Shaman's tipi, idly braiding together a leather thong. His eyes roved the village, but he wasn't paying attention to any of it. He was concentrating purely on listening to the sounds coming from the direction of the sweathouse. He hadn't heard that the Shaman wanted to bring Amelia there until he saw her pass him as he sat with the young warriors near the stream. He was sure she had seen him, but she hadn't even acknowledged his presence. 

"Dammit," he muttered, getting to his feet and flinging the piece of leather to the ground. "If she's well enough to roam around the village, then we can leave…" He didn't want to admit that he wanted her all to himself again. 

After pacing back and forth from the tipi to the stream, he found her walking back from the river with Laughing Brook. They were talking in low tones, giggling every so often. It appeared that they had just bathed. Amelia's hair hung in damp strands about her face, and her dress clung to her body, accentuating the fact that she was definitely a woman….

Zelgadiss swallowed hard, and strode forward.

"Greetings, little brother," Laughing Brook said.

"Little brother?" Amelia asked, clearly bewildered.

"I am Fox-from-the-Fire's daughter, and he adopted Chimera, making him my brother," she answered with a proud smile. Amelia appeared happy as well.

"Greetings, sister," he replied with barely a nod to the woman. He took Amelia by the upper arm and began to lead her away. "Excuse us. I need to speak with Amelia for a moment."

Laughing Brook seemed surprised, but nodded, and he walked Amelia out to a nearby field in the lower part of the valley. The grass was slowly turning gold-green, and a few wildflowers dotted the field, adding sparks of purples and oranges to the beautiful landscape. Although it was not a far walk, it was farther than Amelia was used to with her injured leg, and she soon pulled on his arm to stop him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ame…" he began.

"What did I say about you being rude?" she yelled, cutting him off. "I was having a conversation with Laughing Brook, and you just barged in and interrupted us without an explanation or a 'by your leave!' Couldn't you wait so I could say goodbye before you dragged me all the way out here?"

Zel snapped.

"_NO! _How could I wait? You'd just find another excuse to go off with _her_, and the next thing I know, you'll be sitting with someone else doing who knows what, as long as it's not with me! We haven't said ten words to each other in the last four days, so I don't know how you're doing or what you're doing! I don't even know why you went to the sweathouse today. I had to find that out from Eagle-over-the-River because he wanted to know if I was going to see the Shaman as well! Why are you avoiding me, Amelia?"

Her wide sapphire blue eyes trembled, and he could see tears begin to form. His face was mere inches away from hers, close enough for their breath to mingle. Warmth spread through his chest, and feelings and longings that he had tried to deny for years snaked their way to the surface. Over all these years, he had seen Amelia grow up from an awkward child to a beautiful young woman, headstrong and opinionated, but courageous and kind. He had always known about her crush on him, and it had become a familiar, if unwanted, attachment. Somehow, her presence without the apparent attachment was unbearable. Her affections had become very much wanted.

A tear escaped her eye and fell on his hand. It was then that he realized that he was gripping her shoulders tightly, and that he had been shaking her in his frustration. His mind screamed at him to let her go, that he was scaring her, but his hands remained where they were, though his hold on her relaxed. Instead of backing away from her, he found himself leaning forward with half-lidded eyes; her breath on his lips was intoxicating, and he wanted a taste of his sweet Amelia…

"Dancing Leaf," she breathed, and he jerked back as if slapped. "I saw you that first night, Zelgadiss. Why tolerate my affections if you could have such a beautiful woman like _her_? I can see that you're so contented here, and it's obvious you care for her. If you'll be happy with her, I didn't want to bother you. You don't need _my_ love…"

He finally understood the look in her eyes. It was betrayal. He could hear the displeasure in her voice, but her face showed him that her heart was breaking. He could almost hear it shatter in her chest. But there was nothing between Dancing Leaf and him… 

"There's nothing between us. I don't care for her that way," he assured her. Doubt still lingered in the air, and he sighed. 

"I don't know how you did it, Amelia," he whispered, still holding onto her arm to keep her from leaving him. A hand traveled up to pull strands of wet hair away from her face. "I don't understand why I need you with me. All I know is that I can't sleep at night without thinking about you. I look forward to the moments when I can sit and listen to you talk with me. My whole life has been about getting revenge for what happened to me when I was thirteen, but I never thought about a life after that. It was never an option when I had resigned myself to dying in the attempt. But now…"

The hurt disappeared from her eyes to be replaced by hope, and another tear slipped down her face. He wiped the tear away as he caressed her cheek.

"But now, I've found something… someone worth living for. It's you, Amelia. I… I love you," he admitted to her. To himself, as well.

The joy that lit up her face was enough for him.

"Oh, Zelgadiss! I love you so much…"

His lips met hers tentatively at first, and at her response, he pulled her close to him, deepening the kiss and wishing he would never have to let her go. He had her love. That was surely enough for him. He could let everything go if it meant that he could stay with his Amelia forever. Revenge was dropping out of his heart the longer he held onto this young woman who had somehow managed to capture and mend his mutilated heart and soul.

He broke their kiss reluctantly, but he was becoming a little light-headed, and he held her in a tight embrace. He didn't want to get carried away. Although the village believed they were married, they were not… yet. He smiled at the thought. When this mess with the Tatums was over, he would marry this woman and settle down. No more running. No more revenge.

"No more Rezo," he whispered to the wind above her head, and his heart began to feel lighter without that weight.

Amelia pulled away and looked up at him in confusion.

"Rezo? You mean Mister Rezo? The blind doctor with the ivory-handled black Colt…?"

************************

A/N: Please forgive my ignorance of the Native American traditions and culture, the Crow in particular. I've probably taken bits of different tribes, but I tried to remain true to what I've read about them. I hope I've portrayed them in a more positive light than most spaghetti westerns have. No harm was intended.

Special thanks go out to those who've reviewed! **Komillia** (Gee, thank you! I always wonder how I do at action scenes since I'm not very used to writing them. It's good to know how I did! Although there was a bit of action in this chapter, this was mostly a developmental chapter for Zel and Amelia's relationship since they're off on their own. The others will show up again in the next one. ^_^), **Lina Gabriev **(Thanks! I hope I didn't give you the one-two punch at the end of this chapter with the 'resolution' to the Z/A romance as well as bringing us back to Zel's main goal. Things will definitely become a little more complicated after this… And unfortunately, Sylphiel's not making an appearance in this fic – I just couldn't figure out where I could put her where she would be of some use… Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this one!), **Claudia22** (Thank you so much! Now I'm blushing… ^_^ I tried to work in some of the scenes that fit in those particular sections, so I'm glad that you enjoyed them. It's good to know that I did a good job at the AU as well! Hmm… I wonder which was your favorite chapter… ~_^), **Captain Whosit** (I love that name, by the way… Thank you! I guess my love of the Old West and Westerns was finally good for something. ~_^ I just figured a good ole revenge story fit Zelgadiss perfectly, and since I'm a Z/A fan, Amelia was naturally the lead female character, but never fear. Although they're MIA in this chapter, Lina and company will be back in the next one.)

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	4. Act 4

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 4**

Zelgadiss tugged on the saddle strap to tighten it, but the buckle wasn't going into the right notch. He sighed. Lightning was being stubborn and sucking in air to keep the strap loose. It appeared that she, too, wanted him to stay in the village. He kneed her gently in the belly, and he pulled the strap tight as she blew out. Damn horse. He could see it now. He rides off dramatically into the sunset, only to have his saddle slide to the side and dump him to the ground.

Lightning blew again, and he finally tightened the strap correctly. "Traitor," he grumbled, and she slapped his face with her tail as an answer.

"She's right, Zelgadiss, you shouldn't go," Amelia said, leading Champion up to where he was preparing to leave. She was dressed in her traveling clothes and her horse was saddled and ready. 

"I thought I told you to stay, Amelia," he said, trying not to look at her. 

"And I thought I told you that you shouldn't go."

He sighed. "You're staying here, where you'll be safe. I've got to leave now."

"You know I'll just follow you, Zelgadiss."

"I don't want you to get hurt." He busied himself by adjusting his stirrups and checking the bridle and the bit, as well as stowing away his rifle and saddlebags, anything to keep him from seeing the disappointment in her face.

"Then don't go."

"You know that's not possible." 

Liar.

"It _was_ possible, two hours ago. You said you loved me. You said 'no more Rezo.' If you had never known he was at my Inn, and found out years down the line, would you leave me then, like you're trying to now?

"That's why I have to go now, Amelia. I don't want this ghost haunting me for the rest of my life. I don't want to think that he's out there and that he might… You're too important to me to lose. I've got to do this. For us." 

Liar.

"Us? There won't be an, 'us' if you ride off to your death. If you're going, then I'm riding with you."

He finally looked back at her. She was standing resolutely with a hand on her horse's neck, a determined expression on her face. His eyes drifted back, and he saw that Fox-from-the-Fire and Laughing Brook were watching them with worry. He had hoped that they would convince Amelia to stay with them, but she was so stubborn. Of course, that was one of her many endearing qualities, and he found that he, too, wilted under her strange logic.

She loved him enough to want to remain by his side in the face of danger, and although he wanted her safe, he still could not bear to think of her anywhere but at his side. With a sigh, he reached deep into his saddlebag and dug out her tiny pistol and a couple of bullets. He walked over to her, and reached out to take her hand. She regarded him with a neutral expression, but he saw the flash of surprise as she realized what it was he was returning to her.

"You can practice with one of my guns as well, but I don't want you to be helpless in a fight," he said, his hands lingering on hers. "I don't know how much help two bullets can be in a gunfight, but you should be armed."

Amelia immediately felt better knowing that he was going to let her stay with him. She accepted her pistol, somehow glad that it hadn't been lost and that Zelgadiss had kept it all this time. She stared at the two bullets for several moments, but then remembered Laughing Brook and the other women of the village. Without trepidation, she loaded her gun and slipped it into her pocket.

Once everything was ready for their journey, including more rations and supplies, Zelgadiss took Amelia's hand and led her back to his family. Eagle-over-the-River had joined his wife and the Shaman. Zelgadiss bowed slightly before being wrapped up in a tight hug, along with Amelia. When the Chief finally released them, they were assaulted again by Fox-from-the-Fire. He was perhaps even more enthusiastic about his goodbye.

"Thank you for letting us stay in your village, Mister Chief. Thank you for all your help and understanding, Mister Shaman. And thank you for looking after me and helping me with everything, Laughing Brook," Amelia told them each sincerely. 

The older woman hugged Amelia tightly. "Return to us victorious, Hummingbird. And when you return, I hope to call you sister in truth," she whispered, but Zelgadiss' excellent hearing caught that. He briefly wondered about it before she turned her attention to him, whom she caught up in an equally tight embrace. "I hope your quest for revenge is quenched with this journey, brother. Return to us victorious, Chimera."

There were no tears, no goodbyes. Friends wished the spirits to keep watch over them, and with a pointed look at Amelia, Fox-from-the-Fire waved a black crow feather before them. 

"May the great spirits guide you both. May your own spirits keep you safe."

Zelgadiss and Amelia rode out towards the sunset, hoping to cover as much distance as they could before nightfall. He had a plan now, and hopefully, it would solve both of their problems: the Tatums and Rezo. He glanced at Amelia as she rode beside him, and made a promise to himself that they would both make it out of this alive.

Three hours later, as the sun finally sank behind the hills, Zelgadiss called a halt to their ride. He dismounted and gave their camp a quick appraisal before letting Amelia know that this would be where they would rest for the night. She appeared to be okay, but when he offered her help down, she frowned and dismounted on her own, still favoring her right leg.

"It doesn't hurt that much, Zelgadiss," she reassured him, and then went about unsaddling her horse. He reached over to do it for her, but she shrugged him off to do it herself. With nothing else he could help her with, he attended to his duties while she brushed down the horse. By the time Zel had built up a fire, Amelia had unrolled her bedroll in her usual spot across the fire from him.

The small fire did not offer much warmth, but it gave them a little light and some cheer. Zelgadiss offered Amelia some of their rations, and they both ate in silence. She rubbed her thigh absently, trying to make sure her bandage was in place. It could probably have done with another couple of days of rest, but since that was out of the question, she would just have to make sure it did not open or get infected.

Her eyes traveled up to regard her friend… her love, she remembered, and noticed that he appeared so down and distant. He was leaning against his saddle, his eyes focused on the tiny leaping flames, and she wondered what he was thinking about. Probably Rezo and his revenge. Couldn't he just let it go so they could live their life? She turned away from the fire to stare out over the landscape, taking the first watch as she always had.

Zelgadiss watched her, and sighed audibly. "Amelia, you don't have to keep watch, for tonight at least."

"I'm here to pull my own weight, Zelgadiss. I can do everything I did before."

"That's not what I meant," he said in her ear, and she jumped in surprise. She hadn't even heard him move from his spot. His arms wrapped around her from behind, and she sank back into his embrace.

"We're still in Crow territory. There are a couple of my friends who insisted on keeping watch over us until we left their lands. No one will bother us tonight. We can rest here without worrying."

She let out a contented sigh as he leaned his chin on her shoulder. She loved being with him, and was enjoying his displays of affection, but this whole situation just wasn't sitting well with her. The romantic in her just did not see the romance of all this. He should be courting her with flowers and picnics and long walks. Instead, they were riding halfway across the country so he could kill the man who destroyed his family so long ago.

"Are we going to be okay?" she asked, trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

"They aren't going to let anything happen to us, I promise."

Amelia turned in his embrace to look him in the eye. "That's not what I meant. I know Mist… Rezo did all those horrible things so long ago, but what if he's changed? He's a doctor and is helping so many people now. Would you be able to live with yourself if you killed a reformed man? And what would that do to us? When you kill him, will that be enough? You can't bring your parents back…"

Zelgadiss released her and leaned back against her saddle. His gaze returned to the fire, and that uncertain and distant expression once again covered his features.

"I've thought on the morality and the consequences of killing him for so many years now, that I've just come to accept the fact that it's just something I've got to do. I told you before that I have never thought beyond that moment, until now. Now, I'm questioning everything I've done and everything I am. I want to leave it alone. I want to live a nice quiet life with you. But what he did will always be in the back of my mind. The thought that he's out there, somewhere, weighs on my mind now more than ever. What he did is unforgivable, Amelia."

His voice was hoarse as he continued, "It won't bring them back, I know. But it will stop him from destroying other families and other lives. He created me, the day he killed my parents and left me to burn. He's my problem."

He shifted, and Amelia lay next to him, resting her head on his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with devotion. "And mine as well, Zelgadiss. You're the man I love, so I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

He kissed her forehead gently, letting his lips linger on her soft skin and breathing in her scent. Strangely, her steadfast promise calmed him. They fell asleep that night, wrapped in each other's embrace, warm in the knowledge that they would face this thing together. 

****************************

Amelia and Zelgadiss returned to their routine of keeping watch while they rested over the next several days, having left Crow territory far behind. He led them through the high country, ever westward and a step closer to their destination. Amelia's leg continued to heal, and she allowed him to help her every now and again, knowing that he was only trying to show her how much she meant to him. 

When they were what Zelgadiss determined was a safe enough distance away from Sweetwater and any potential trouble with the Tatums, he led them to a town so they could restock on supplies and so they could send a message to Luna. Amelia tried not to appear too grateful to be returning to a town, but failed to contain her excitement. Zel decided that perhaps they could stay for the night, and if they could find a good stable to care for the horses, take the next train to San Francisco.

They arrived in Evanston and went their separate ways, Amelia to send the message and find out about the train, and Zelgadiss to inquire about the stables and their own lodging. 

As it turned out, Amelia was able to send two wires, one to Luna to let her know that they were okay, and another to her sister, informing her that they were on their way to visit. She knew that it wasn't the whole truth, but she couldn't very well tell her that they were going to look for a man so Zelgadiss could get his revenge. 

Well, it was merely the omission of the truth, she thought with a twinge of guilt.

Her next stop was the station to book a couple of seats on the next train. In five days. With a sigh, she bought the tickets, knowing that Zel would not be happy to have to wait. She stepped out of the station and crossed the street to find him at the Inn, never noticing that a pair of beady eyes in a weasel-like face had been following her every move. He stepped into the telegraph office to send a couple of messages of his own.

Zelgadiss, upon hearing that they would have to wait five more days until the train arrived, had almost told Amelia to return the tickets and book the next stagecoach, but when he saw the weariness on her face, he quickly changed his mind. She needed her rest, anyway, he reasoned with himself. He was able to get two rooms at the Inn, and find clean and well-kept stables for their horses. Paying both places in advance, he and Amelia spent the remainder of the day resting and eating, unaware that they had been found.

****************************

"There's got to be something here," Lina whined, and in her frustration, she threw the large book that she had been looking through across the table and onto the floor. 

Over two weeks had elapsed since Zelgadiss and Amelia fled Rock Creek, and there was still no word from her sister that they had arrived. She had figured on a week at most for Zel to disappear and resurface safely in Sweetwater with his charge. Another week and a half passed with still no sign of them. And as Phil had worried, the army had yet to send anyone out. Thankfully, though, the town remained unnaturally peaceful this whole time.

While Gourry was on duty with the Sheriff, Lina and Phil had been reading through dozens of books that were delivered that morning from Fort Laramie with an apology for the lack of support. Whatever. Lina didn't need help from the army anyway.

Regardless of what was happening in his personal life, Philionel Seyruun was still a federal Marshall, and a crime had occurred in his territory. When the Sheriff had searched out Connor Cooper's hideout, he had discovered the deed to the homestead. It had been signed over to Connor, probably under duress. What he needed to discover was what would drive a man to murder his own parents, just so he could have the deed to their land signed over to him? It didn't make sense. The land would have become his upon their death, anyway. There must have been more to it than it seemed.

The books that were scattered across four tables in the dining room of the Inn held copies of all the land titles that were recorded in the state, sorted by county and date. That should have made things easier, but finding one common thread among hundreds of declarations of homestead in this mess was unbelievable. After eight straight hours of searching and finding nothing, Phil had left to relieve Gourry at the jailhouse, leaving Lina alone to continue the search.

And Lina Inverse was not the most patient of people.

"I'm going to shoot whoever put these stupid books together! None of it makes any sense!" She pulled her hair in frustration.

"You're always making such a mess!" Martina complained, smacking the back of Lina's head as she walked by. She bent down to pick up the fallen book, and Lina's boot found the green-haired girl's backside. Martina went sprawling across the floor.

Lina towered over her, a wicked gleam in her anger-filled eyes, and no one around to rein her in. "You should know better than to provoke me!"

Martina appeared uneasy for a brief moment before Lina pounced on her, but she fought her off with a frightening display of stupidity. The women pulled each other's hair, twisted arms, poked eyes, tugged on cheeks, and executed weak headlocks. 

"Zoamelgustar won't let me lose to you, Lina! I'll get you yet," came a muffled threat. Martina's apron was being pulled up and over her face as she tried to reach around to swat at Lina, who was sitting on her back.

"Aw, shaddup!" the redhead yelled, trying to tie the bottom edge of the apron to the ribbons around Martina's waist. She was in quite an awkward position, but Lina roared, "You asked for it!"

Their tussle immediately stopped when the little bell above the front door to the Inn jingled. That sound meant money. The two young women froze, looked up, and then untangled themselves, straightening their clothes and hair as they sought to appear presentable. The man who had entered the Inn merely watched them in fascination, shaking the dust off his thick poncho and strange pointed hat.

"Welcome to the Seyruun Inn," Lina effused, elbowing Martina out of the way at the prospect of making more money. "Are you looking for a hot meal or a room for the night, sir?"

"Both," he said, surveying the empty dining room. 

Lina took in his appearance, and the bulge at his hip beneath his poncho, and frowned. "Well, we've got a rule here." She pointed to the sign above the front counter that read: No weapons allowed in this establishment. Please surrender your weapons to the innkeeper.

The man's eyes traveled down to regard the pistols at her hips, and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you the innkeeper?"

Lina was about to answer when Martina took the chance to elbow _her_ aside.

"No. I'm the one who does all the work here, including the cooking, cleaning and the book-keeping." She slid behind the counter and opened the registry. "Only one? Just sign here, then…"

Lina almost gagged at the way Martina was gushing over this man. Of course, she usually threw herself at every man who walked in, but it seemed as if this time was worse than others. She pulled the book around and read the name before recording the room number next to it.

"Here you go, Mister… Zangulus. You're in room five, up the stairs, first door on your left," she said in a high, delicate voice, a blush creeping up her neck.

"Just a minute," Lina stopped him before he took a step. She ignored the glare that Martina was shooting at her. "Your guns."

She held out her hands, and the man reluctantly threw back his poncho, revealing not only a gun at his hip, but one tucked into his waistband, as well as a large hunting knife strapped to his gun belt. He pulled each one out and handed it to Lina, who placed them securely in the gun rack, locking them up.

"So, what makes a little thing like you able to carry guns in here when law abiding citizens like me can't, not even to defend myself?" he asked when she stepped out from behind the counter, twirling the key around her finger.

"A little thing like this," she answered, pointing at the deputy badge her hair had covered up. She drew her pistol and pointed it at the man. "And a big thing like the Tatums sending people in to spy on us."

"Lina! What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Martina. Go run and get Gourry."

"But…"

"Now!"

Martina stamped her foot in frustration, but did as she was told, the door slamming shut behind her. Lina grinned wolfishly as she pointed to a chair in the corner of the dining room. Zangulus lazily walked over and sat down, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Lina picked up the book that had fallen and placed it open on the table with the others. She sat down in her chair, the gun ever trained on his face.

"So, Zangulus," she drawled, "Let's talk about who sent you…"

*************************

"This just arrived for you, sir." A woman knocked on the door and then walked into the office, holding a thin slip of paper in her hand. The man raised his head when she entered, but he did not turn from his work.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly irritated at being disturbed.

"A telegram from one of the rats."

"Well? What does it say?" 

"It says, 'Seyruun and Greywords in Evanston. Stop. Boarding train to S.F. in five days. Stop. More trouble may arrive. End stop.' That's all…"

"What was the name?" he demanded, suddenly in a panic. He turned around in his chair to face her.

"Seyruun, sir."

"Not that one. The other one!"

"Greywords."

The man sat for several silent moments, rubbing his face in thought. The woman watched him worriedly, having never before seen the alarm that covered his handsome features. Finally, the alarm was replaced by determination, and he beckoned to her.

"Eris, my dear. Send word to do whatever it takes to bring them to me. Alive and unharmed. We will meet them partway. The Big S Ranch, west of the Great Salt Lake."

"Yes, sir." 

"Oh, and Eris?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Any _other_ trouble is to be dealt with. Lethally."

"Of course, Rezo dear." The woman turned on her heel, ready to do his bidding.

"It can't be him," the blind man muttered worriedly to himself. "I have to make sure."

*************************

"He's not a spy, Lina," Gourry tried for the fifth time that evening, and she still wouldn't believe him. He was sitting back in his chair with his feet up on the table and his hands behind his head. He hadn't wanted to tell her the truth since he was afraid of what she would do to him if she found out, but it seemed as if he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"I asked him to come here," he blurted out. She suddenly rounded on him, and he rushed to explain, "Zangulus and I go way back. Well… that is, he tried to kill me a ways back… before I met you, actually. That was, what, Zangulus? Five? Six years ago?"

"Seven, Gourry."

"Yeah, seven years ago, we met when we were working for this guy down in Texas. He paid us to guard his ranch, but there was nothing for us to do, since no one ever came around, so we took to shooting contests. I usually won, so Zangulus here challenged me to a duel." He took a long drink of his coffee and sighed.

Several seconds passed before Lina realized that he wasn't going to continue. She kicked his feet off the table. "And then what happened?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. He lost. He's been trying to get me to duel him ever since, but I never felt like it anymore after that."

"So why did you ask him to come here? You want to fight him now?"

"Oh. No, not at all."

Zangulus fell off his chair. "What? I came all this way from California, just so we can reminisce?!"

"No. I asked you to come because I thought we could use some extra guns against the Tatums and the Dylans. I didn't want to fight again."

The man groaned as he levered himself back into his seat. "This has got to be a bad dream…"

"Gourry," Lina growled, "do you have any other old 'friends' coming here that I should know about?"

"Umm… no. I don't think so."

Lina moaned and lowered her head onto the table. She was about to pound her head onto the wood when the front door slammed open.

"Where's Lina Inverse?" a seemingly gentle voice demanded from the doorway, and Lina shot up as if an iron brand was stuck under her seat. The look of frustration suddenly changed to one of pure terror as shivers raced up her spine. Before anyone could ask if she was okay, she tore off, screaming towards the back of the house.

"Lina, stop being stupid." Surprisingly, she froze in her tracks and turned around slowly, fear and panic masking her features. "That's a good girl. Now aren't you going to greet your big sister properly, or do I have to teach you how?"

Everyone's gaze went to the woman who had just stepped in the door. A tall woman in a simple skirt and blouse under her traveling coat, with short dark hair and a better figure than her sister, stood with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face.

"H… hello, s… s… sis," Lina stuttered, approaching her sister tentatively.

Martina was grinning widely, filing this important bit of information away for future reference. Zangulus was watching this new woman with some respect, for putting the little redheaded demon in her place. Gourry stood and stuck out his hand to her.

"Hi there. You must be Luna Inverse. Lina doesn't talk about you much, so you have to understand if we didn't recognize you. Hey, you're a lot taller than her. Bigger chest, too…"

Lina's fist connected squarely with his jaw and sent him staggering backwards and out of the way.

"S… so, sis. What brings you here? Did Zel and Amelia ever show up…?"

Luna waltzed past her, pulling off her traveling coat, and dropping her carpetbag into Lina's hands. Gourry, thinking quickly, pulled out a seat for her, and then wisely took a big step back to sit next to Zangulus. Luna sat in the offered chair, crossing her legs and sitting primly. Lina took the seat across the table from her.

"I'm here, because you have put me in a very difficult position, Lina. I received this two days ago." She pushed a tiny slip of paper towards her sister. 

Lina picked it up and read, "Both ok. Stop. Roads watched. Stop. Going to Naga's. End stop."

So that's why she hadn't heard from Amelia and Zelgadiss before that. And now they were on their way to San Francisco? Why all the way out there? They could more easily have gone to safety in Fort Bridger until this whole thing died down…

"That was sent from Evanston." She looked through her long bangs to capture Lina's ruby eyes with her own. "Do you know how many Dylan's live in and around Sweetwater? Some of them are my friends. Do you know what I had to put up with when they all discovered your 'secret' plot to send those two to my place? They don't dare cross me, but I have been watched for the last two weeks, and now they know where these two are!"

Zangulus snickered, and without batting an eye, Luna pulled out a pistol from the folds of her skirt, and shot at him, hitting the floor between his legs. The color drained from his face, and the others decided that Luna really was scarier than Lina. She placed the gun in a more convenient place on the table and resumed her tirade.

"I came all this way, just to tell you to get your butts over to this 'Naga's' place as soon as you can. If any of the talk I heard in town is true, there's going to be a huge trap waiting for them in San Francisco."

"Dammit!" Lina raged, quickly trying to form a plan in her mind. "Gourry, go get the Marshall. Zangulus, if you want to have that duel with Gourry, then you'd better help us out. I'll go to the train station and book four tickets to Oakland on the first possible train."

"I should hope you're going to book more than that, Miss Lina," someone said from the front door. Three guns were drawn and trained on the doorway when the man stepped inside with his hands raised. He was dressed in fashionable clothes and a bowler hat. It was clear from the cut of his black jacket and the ruffle of his shirt that they were tailor made and very expensive. The twin pistols he wore strapped to his thighs, however, evidenced his reputation as a gunfighter. Those, unlike his clothes, showed much use, but a great deal of care. 

Only Lina lowered her weapon and appeared to be happy to see him. "Xelloss! Well, it's about time! What took you so long?"

"You of all people should know that I don't go anywhere without being prepared. I needed to pack."

The other two guns returned to their holsters when a beautiful blonde head appeared in the doorway. She glared at Xelloss' back.

"And you should have also dragged your own trunk here instead of leaving me to do it, you stinking…" Filia, an insanely strong young woman, dropped the end of the trunk she was dragging with a loud thud. 

Xelloss rushed to her side and tried to soothe her nerves and check his cache of weapons at the same time. She had not enjoyed the stagecoach ride towards the end of their journey, and had been sick enough times to make him nauseous as well.

"Come, my dear. Let's get you inside where you can get warm, have some dinner… or maybe just some tea," he amended, seeing her face turn green. "I've got some things to discuss with Miss Lina and the others."

"You make it sound as if I'm some kind of wilting flower, Xelloss. It was my idea to come here in the first place." She let him lead her to a table to sit down. Her traveling dress appeared expensive as well, made of emerald green velvet, with a moderate bustle trailing behind her. The way she sat and held herself revealed her upbringing, and Martina immediately ran to the kitchen to make her tea. 

Gourry smiled at their arrival, and decided that it would be a good time to leave them to their own devices while he went to fetch the Marshall. Luna merely watched the newcomers quietly. Xelloss, having deposited Filia in a chair, sat next to her, facing Lina and the entrance. 

"I wasn't about to let Miss Lina and Miss Amelia down, you know that, Filia dear. I'm here to offer my services as you suggested. And as to that…" He looked around, trying to hide his disappointment. "Where's the big shootout you promised me Miss Lina?"

"Miss Lina!"

"Hey, I just said that we might need his help in a fire-fight, Filia. I thought that they would attack us here, but it looks like they've followed Zelgadiss and Amelia instead."

"So I came for nothing?" Xelloss appeared depressed until Filia smacked him on his head.

"You came to support your friends!"

Lina watched the two with a twinge of jealousy. Although their bantering hadn't seemed to change, it was clear that their relationship had. The rich southern beauty and plantation heiress, Filia ul Copt, had somehow managed to tame Xelloss Metallium, perhaps the most feared gunslinger of the time.

"Hey, where's the kid?" Lina wondered, noticing that a certain green-haired infant was not present.

Filia appeared ready to burst into tears. "He… he's still at home. Jillas and Gravos are watching him."

Martina reappeared and placed a tea service in front of the blonde woman, momentarily distracting her. Filia began to gush over how beautiful the teacups and the teapot were, and poured herself a cup with precision and care, seemingly losing herself to her favorite pastime.

Lina whispered to Xelloss. "Those two idiots? She left her son in the care of those…"

"Miss Lina," Xelloss intervened, placing a hand on her shoulder, "please don't get Filia overexcited. She's had a difficult enough time letting him go in the first place."

"Then why did she come?"

"She didn't want to let me out of her sight."

"It was more like I wanted to keep you out of trouble, Xelloss," Filia shot back, dabbing at her eyes between sips of tea. She had heard the whole thing. "If I can help out, then I will. If I recall, the last time we were all together, some of you got too injured and needed me to patch you up."

Lina nodded her assent as Xelloss glanced around the room to take in the other occupants. His gaze finally rested on Luna, and he froze. Lina narrowed her eyes as the two regarded each other. She was about to demand what was going on when Xelloss spoke.

"Miss Luna. How nice to see you once again."

Lina gaped. "Once again?"

Luna smiled. "Yes, nice to see you again as well, Xelloss. I trust that you're keeping yourself out of trouble?"

He was actually sweating. "Oh, Miss Filia here makes quite sure of that."

"What did you mean, once again?" Lina reiterated, growing angry at being ignored.

"Xelloss happened through our town several years ago, and he tried unsuccessfully to rob the restaurant. I say 'unsuccessfully' because he met with a certain waitress who did not take kindly to seeing her hard-earned money in the hands of a good-for-nothing villain. And you know what I think about villains, right Lina?"

For the first time in her sister's presence, Lina grinned wolfishly as she looked at Xelloss. "_Villains have no rights_," the sisters intoned the Inverse mantra. Xelloss appeared appropriately cowed.

"Well, I trust you won't need me on this trip of yours, Lina?" Luna wondered, standing up and effectively ending the conversation. 

"No, sis. Thanks for letting me know what's going on."

"Good. Then I'll just take one of the rooms and leave on the morning coach. I take it you will all be leaving with the next train?"

"Yes, Luna."

She walked up to Lina, and leaned over to whisper in her ear so only she could hear. "If anything happens to you, I'll chase you into the afterlife and make death worse than hell. You'd better be careful and come home in one piece."

Lina shuddered and then, with a toss of her wild hair, grinned, mirroring Luna's smirk. The elder sibling picked up her bag, took a key from behind the counter, and went upstairs without another word to anyone else.

"Wow. That woman can give snow frostbite," Zangulus muttered when the door closed upstairs. 

Lina regarded him for a moment before going to the gun cabinet and returning with his weapons. After tossing them to him, she placed her hands on the open books on the table and leaned over, catching his eye. "You see what I grew up with. Don't think I won't carry through with my threats. Either you're with us or against us. Which one is it?"

Gourry returned with Phil then, and caught the end of their exchange. With expectant gazes all around him, Zangulus shrugged his shoulders.

"It looks like I'm with you, then."

"Good," she said, and her eyes drifted back down at the accursed books. It was a good thing they were leaving. With all the reading she had been doing, she was ready to claw her… eyes… out…

"Greywords?" she wondered in disbelief. 

"What's that, Miss Lina?" Phil asked, stepping over to regard what she was studying.

"This… this is the Deed for the Greywords Homestead. Apparently, it was transferred after the death of the family to the nearest living relative, someone named 'Rezo Shabranigdo.' This was just seven years ago. When Zel…" she trailed off, lost in thought.

"Rezo?" Martina wondered, and Lina fought off the urge to hit her with something. "Why does that name sound familiar? Oh, I know! Someone named 'Rezo' stayed here a couple of weeks ago when you all were gone. Here, his name's in the register."

She brought the other book to the room and pointed at it triumphantly, happy to have finally contributed something to the conversation. Sure enough, three lines above Zangulus' was a clear, neat signature, exactly the same as the one on the recorded deed. Lina noted the dates of his stay, and the wheels in her quick mind began to turn.

"He was here in town for a couple of days before the whole incident at the Coopers' homestead, and left the day they were killed. He was also the one who received the Greywords homestead, even though Zelgadiss was alive. I can't be sure, but it's possible that this Rezo person had something to do with the Coopers' murders."

"But Miss Lina, Connor and those Tatums killed them…"

She began to pace the room, her fingers to her chin in thought.

"But you said it yourself, Phil. Why would Connor have them sign over the Deed to him? What if Rezo convinced Connor to have them sign it over to him, but Connor wanted to get in on his share? What if he was going to hold the deed over Rezo's head, by not signing it directly over to him unless he was well compensated? Amelia happened in on the whole thing, and foiled Rezo's plans by killing Connor before the deed could be signed over? That would explain why the Tatums are so intent on getting Amelia, if Rezo had hired them. She was the one who destroyed his chances of getting the property."

Phil slowly began to make all the connections in his own mind. "Hmm… there could be something to this. Now, a problem with that is where is this Rezo fellow?"

Again, Martina piped in with information. "If he's that blind man who stayed here, then I overheard him tell Amelia that he and his partner were on their way to San Francisco."

"San Francisco. That's where Zel and Amelia are headed," Lina thought aloud. Still pacing, she was talking to herself more than everyone else. "Zel knows who he is, and I'm sure he found out where he's headed. That's why he's going there, to go after him!"

She turned to Phil and clapped him on the shoulder. "Alert the local authorities in San Francisco to have Rezo picked up. If we're lucky, Zel and Amelia will take the next train out of Evanston, and we'll be on it. Then we can all talk to Rezo and find out exactly what his connection to the Coopers' was."

Lina turned to regard the impromptu posse that had been assembled and smiled, glad to finally be active and useful. "Then let's get it together and move 'em out!"

**************************

The last few days made her feel somewhat normal again. Although Amelia loved riding and adventuring with her friends, she still enjoyed modern conveniences such as hot baths and warm beds, filling meals and good coffee. For all her protesting and her enjoyment of the outdoors, she was a town girl at heart.

She stood before a storefront, gazing longingly at a gorgeous dress of midnight blue brocade, trimmed in silk and velvet, with a jacket to match. The bustle alone probably had more yards of fabric than the whole outfit she was wearing, and the whole thing must have cost more than her Inn made in an entire month. Just the sight of it caused many other young women to sigh over the thought of fancy dinners or dances in the city of its origin: New York.

"If you wore that, people would mistake you for a princess, you know," a deep voice whispered in her ear, and she had to suppress a giggle.

"No one would think that, Zelgadiss." 

"I would."

She glanced sideways at him and smiled. He straightened and stood beside her to look at the expensive piece of clothing, his hands clasped behind his back. He was still in his usual clothes, but they were clean, and he appeared as refreshed as she felt. He finally turned away from the store, offering to her his arm.

"Shall we go, Milady?"

"Now you're being silly," she laughed, taking his arm. They strolled down the walkway, talking in soft tones about their plans once this whole thing was over. They appeared as the quietly courting couple that they were. 

"Amelia, I've been meaning to ask," he began, a little flustered. Her heart skipped a beat. He couldn't be… asking her…? 

"What is it, Zelgadiss?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but only succeeded in sounding eager, as always.

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Well, that is…"

"Yes?" Maybe he was ready to give up on Rezo. Maybe he was ready to start a new life.

"Umm… When you said goodbye to Laughing Brook, she said something to you about being her sister in truth. What did she mean by that?"

Amelia blinked. "What?"

"Why would she say a thing like that?"

Apparently, she was wrong about him wanting to ask her to marry him. Feeling a bit affronted, she decided on the direct approach. "Laughing Brook knew from the moment you turned your back when I was changing that we had not been intimate. She asked me about it the next day, so I told her the truth. She said that if I was brave enough to fall in love with you without asking for anything in return, then I was the person she hoped you would pick to be your wife."

His hand came to rest on hers, and he stopped, turning to face her. They were standing in a shaded alleyway, on their way back to the Inn. No one paid them any heed in this secluded corner. Zel's eyes were shining with emotion, and Amelia's breath caught in her throat.

"You ask for nothing, but I want to give you everything, Amelia. I want to be the one to make you happy, to give you a life that's worthy of you. You are a princess to me, a lovely, courageous woman. The one thing I want you to have above everything, though, is happiness. I want to give you happiness."

He placed a brief, light kiss on her lips, and smiled when she opened her eyes. She was happy. That's what mattered. 

Amelia, ever the optimist, was delighted that Zelgadiss did not wallow in his thoughts of revenge, and she continued to strive to keep his mind on the more positive aspects of his life. However, his mind was never far from Rezo. He hid it well from Amelia, but he couldn't ignore the fact that what he was planning would most certainly leave her upset and angry, but it was for the greater good. She wouldn't be happy with him if he couldn't put aside his revenge, and until Rezo was dead, that was something he could never do.

Zelgadiss knew his course. The train would be arriving the next day, and Amelia would be on it.

************************

The train west left on time from Rock Creek, bearing with it two bounty hunters, two hired guns, one healer, and one extra baggage. Much to Lina's displeasure, Martina insisted on tagging along, and nothing anyone could say would dissuade her. Since Amelia had disappeared, the townspeople had avoided going to the Inn for meals, whether it was because their favorite innkeeper was gone or if it was because her bounty hunter friend had daily fights with the crazy cook, no one had ever said. So it was with minimal regret that Lina agreed to close the Inn, and with much regret that she didn't shoot Martina to stop her from coming.

Although he had initially insisted on going, Marshall Phil knew that his daughter's friends had a better chance of finding her than he did. He also knew that they would more than likely have to break the law in order to return Amelia home safely, and if he were present, his career as a federal agent would be over. Bowing to Lina's logic, he vowed to continue his research in Rock Creek and await the troops from Fort Laramie. If he could somehow connect this crime, as well as other similar ones, to Rezo, he would have enough evidence to bring this man to justice.

Lina and Gourry sat back as the train rocked along, trying to enjoy the fact that they were traveling in style. Their horses were stowed away safely in one of the rear cars, and in a few days, they would make it to Oakland to hop aboard a ferry to San Francisco. It was their amazing luck that the train happened to be stopping in Rock Creek the day after Luna arrived with Amelia's message. Still troubled over whether they would find their friends, Lina soon lost her worries to the gentle rhythmic sound of the train, lulling her into a light slumber. Gourry fell asleep the second the train had left the station. He decided that when they caught up to Amelia and Zelgadiss, everything would work itself everything out.

Xelloss and Filia sat across from the snoozing pair, Filia smiling to herself at the sight of Lina resting her head on Gourry's shoulder, and Xelloss cleaning his guns as always. As he reassembled his pistols with a loud click, she shot him an irritated look, but it disappeared upon seeing his face.

"What's wrong, Xelloss?" she asked softly.

His purple eyes opened to regard her, and he briefly thought of telling her, but decided against it. No need to make her angry with him right away. With all the deceptions he had put her through, he couldn't know if she would forgive him once again. Burying his conflicting thoughts beneath a smile, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"You know me, Filia. Lina promised me a fight, and I'm itching for one."

She frowned. "I thought you gave up that life, Xelloss."

"As long as our friends need the guns, Filia, do you think I can say 'no' to them?"

She studied him, trying to see through any double-meanings or unclear phrases. Finally, she smiled and leaned back in her seat. "As long as it's our friends…" she whispered, closing her eyes.

Xelloss turned to stare out of the window, his face devoid of emotion. This conscience thing was highly overrated.

Zangulus nodded his head in time with the intonation of Martina's voice as she babbled on about her patron saint and the church she was trying so desperately to save money to rebuild. He didn't understand how it was that he ended up in this place with these people, but he understood what he had to do. His eyes roved the car, strangely vacant of most of the passengers, and landed on Gourry's blond head. One day…

***************************

When the train eased into Evanston, Xelloss offered to check both in town and then on the rest of the train for Amelia and Zelgadiss, in case they happened to decide to take the train. Gourry had to hold Lina back from joining him in checking the whole town in the thirty minutes the train would be at the station. Even when it had left town and was well on its way west, Lina was still raising such a ruckus, that many of the passengers were seeking refuge in the cars to the rear of the train.

The couple of braver souls who figured on waiting out the redhead's tantrum, soon discovered that she could curse the socks off a sailor, and were equally amazed at her tall blond companion's tolerance of such a woman. Soon, the car was all but empty, save the six who had boarded in Rock Creek and a rough-looking man who did nothing but chuckle at Lina's wild threats.

"Well, Xelloss? I'm assuming that since you're standing here without them that they weren't in town or on the train?"

"What a brilliant observation, Miss Lina," he retorted with a half-smile. Turning to Filia and Martina, he offered, "Ladies, perhaps you would be more comfortable in one of the other cars? Let's leave these two to their discussion."

The two women, although trying not to appear disgusted with Lina's more colorful expressions, were already nodding and gathering their belongings. Undeterred from her original anger, Lina paid them no heed.

"See Gourry? If we had two people, instead of one, looking, we might have had time to question the locals as well. For all we know, they could have still been in town, and now we could have passed them! You should have let me get off the train, just like Xelloss suggested!" 

She punched him again, but this time, he caught her tiny fist easily with his large hand. An expression, which hardly ever graced his features, was present now. Gourry was serious and maybe even a little angry, but it did not appear to be with Lina. He gently picked her up and set her aside as if she didn't weigh a thing. Stepping into the aisle, he glared at the retreating figure's back. His fingers touched his pistols lightly.

"And I stopped you, Lina. Just like Xelloss suggested."

The two women stopped at the rear of the car and turned around to look at Xelloss, who merely sighed and rubbed the back of his head in shame.

"Oh, dear. I guess my plan was discovered sooner than I thought," he said, turning around to face the imminent wrath of Lina Inverse.

"Your WHAT?" Lina and Filia yelled at the same time.

Filia, being the closer of the two, had the honors of hitting Xelloss in the back of the head with her bag, and for once, he really did appear apologetic.

"Are you playing your stupid games again Xelloss? I thought you were through with all that! I… I thought you had changed! So help me, if you bring about any harm to anyone…"

He grabbed her wrists, quickly preventing her battering him more, and walked her back to the rear of the car. "I know you don't trust me right now, my dear…"

"Don't call me that!"

"… but please understand. I didn't want you to get hurt," he whispered.

"Xelloss!" Lina threatened, having joined Gourry in his anger and his eagerness to shoot. "You had better have a good explanation for all of this, because if Filia doesn't kill you, I will!"

With another sigh, and a quick glance out the windows, he decided that he had no other choice. He had to act now, or it would be too late. So much for his brilliant, well laid out plan.

Grabbing Martina as well, he flung the two women towards the front of the car, and straight into Lina and Gourry. Before they could recover and untangle themselves from the two sets of skirts, Xelloss pulled out his gun and fired two shots before diving for the exit. He slammed open the door and reached down between the cars, pulling with all his might on the connecting pin. Cursing, he threw his back into it and was finally able to yank the pin loose.

The whole train shuddered and then sped up as the rear cars uncoupled from the train and began to slowly drift back. It wasn't pretty, and not exactly as he had planned, but it would still work. A gun clicked next to his ear, and he froze, the triumph of his accomplishment fading in his friends' fury. He raised his hands in surrender.

"I know you won't shoot me until I tell you why I did this, but first, I think we need to get up to the locomotive and make sure the engineer doesn't stop the train."

"Get up," Lina growled, ignoring his words. He stood, his hair blown out of his normal precise style, and faced a car full of incredulous looks. Lina was vengeance personified, her eyes wild and finger twitchy as she pointed her gun dead at his heart. 

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now, Xelloss."

The train lurched as it slowed down, and Xelloss reacted the only way he knew how. He drew his gun on Lina as well, cocked and ready to shoot.

"We get the train back moving first, Miss Lina," he said, a twinge of desperation in his voice. "Then I explain."

Filia, who had been watching the exchange with one eye and watching the man Xelloss had shot with the other, stepped between the two. She couldn't see her friends fighting like this. There had to be a reason. A good reason. Xelloss wouldn't waste two bullets shooting both of a man's hands without killing him. The only sound in the car was incoherent moaning from Xelloss' victim.

"Let's get the train moving first, Miss Lina," Filia tried, and Xelloss smiled, but before he could feel good about it, she turned on him, appearing extremely unhappy and disappointed. She placed a hand on his gun, and he immediately un-cocked and lowered it. "And then he can tell us why he's keeping secrets again."

At Lina's nod, Gourry scrambled to the front of the car and out the door, to try to coerce the engineer to continue on. After a couple of minutes, the train rocked forward, and they were on the way again. Lina glared at the gunfighter.

"You've got one minute to explain. I stop the train after a minute."

Xelloss frowned. Well, this was what he had expected, after all. 

"Miss Luna felt that the train would be watched and possibly targeted. She came up to me before we left and made me promise that if I saw any indication that we might be watched or followed to ensure that no innocent people would get hurt. She knew that you wouldn't care about innocent bystanders, and normally, I wouldn't either, but a promise to Miss Luna…" He shrugged, his hands upturned in a helpless gesture. 

Indicating the man he had shot, Xelloss continued, "This man, here, had been listening to you talk about Miss Amelia and Zelgadiss the entire time we were on the train. When we arrived in Evanston, I followed him and discovered that he spoke with several unsavory looking men before returning to the train. They reported to him that they had taken care of the two they were looking for, and he informed them that he would let them know whom they needed to kill on the train. He was also the only person who remained in this car after your colorful tirade, Miss Lina. I was successful in removing almost all of the innocent passengers from the train, when you discovered my plot, and now we need to be ready to deal with these fine gents who are riding up fast behind us."

Lina glanced out of the closest window, and sure enough, at least a dozen riders were coming up in the distance. Her mind quickly worked on a way that they could survive three to one odds and still take out as many of them as she could…

"Okay, Xelloss, you're off the hook. Remind me to hurt you later, once we get rid of this bunch."

"Thank you, Miss Lina."

Gourry reappeared in the doorway of the train car. His long blond hair was a tangled mess from having walked along the wood car to the engine. "Lina, we've got trouble coming fast, both ahead and behind us. It looks like they've blocked the tracks a little more than a mile up ahead."

He tossed her the hand telescope so she could see for herself. When she turned away from the window, it was obvious she was contemplating something, figuring the best way she could get as many of them on the train. Her eyes traveled to Martina, who was regarding everyone with a blank look, and Filia, who was covering her face with her hand as if she had a headache.

"Oh, why does this remind me of last year?" Filia moaned from her spot next to Xelloss. As if sensing her intentions, Filia's head still shot up when Lina grinned. "No. Miss Lina, you can't do that!"

"Like hell, I can't!"

She advanced on the both Filia and Martina with the Inverse gleam in her eyes that only promised humiliation and destruction.

******************************

A/N: One small note: other than italics and bolds, this story is the same as posted on Pogo's site with two exceptions. I removed an extra word that was redundant, and I fixed a continuity word that wasn't a big thing, but my over-picky brain wouldn't let me rest. (In signing a register, the person who signs before you would be on the line _above_ you. -_-) As I said, it was nothing major, but I'm a sad, sad perfectionist.

Again, I'd like to give a very special set of thanks to three very wonderful people: **Pogo** for having the contest in the first place, **Kaeru Shisho** for doing a fantastic job of beta-ing and _still_ reviewing (and helping me keep things in perspective *hugs*), and my husband for helping me bring together the classic Western and the Slayers world. Also, to those who've reviewed: **katy**, **Lina Gabriev**, and **Otaku M-chan**, thank you so much. Reviews make my day!

So click the button and review!


	5. Act 5 Part 1

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 5**

The train engineer couldn't possibly be expected to stand up to the dangerous, rough and rugged men on horseback with all their guns pointed at him, so he dutifully applied the brakes and stopped the train about a quarter of a mile away from the huge pile of wood that blocked the tracks. 

"I tried to stop when they uncoupled the train, but they're crazy! They threatened to shoot me!" the engineer yelled nervously when the train came to rest with a loud hiss of steam. He adjusted and readjusted his cap and his jacket, clearly shaking in terror. He was no threat.

Quickly surrounding the engine and the lone passenger car, the ruffians sent the kid of the group up to keep an eye on the engineer, while the others checked out the car. If their tip was correct, they should just shoot up the entire car and be done with it, but they didn't want to kill the only guy who could identify the correct bodies.

"What is going on here?" a high, lilting southern voice issued from one of the windows. "Why are we stopped?"

A beautiful woman popped her blonde head out the window and looked around in curiosity. The neck of her dress was open, and she leaned over to allow the men a great view of her bosom. Surprisingly, upon seeing that the car was surrounded by armed bandits, rather than faint or scream, she smiled and waved to them.

"Hi y'all! Hey, Miss Martina! Guess what?" she yelled back into the car. A woman with wavy green hair looked out a window and smiled as well. She was wearing a low-cut bodice that displayed almost as much as her blonde friend.

"Why, Filia," she said in a giggling voice. "There are several handsome-looking gents out here. Do you think they'd like to come along, girls?"

Squeals of delight flooded from the car, and the men looked back and forth amongst themselves. Maybe they got the wrong car. What if the people they were looking for were in the cars that were left back along the line? Well, they still had enough time to have some fun while they sent some men to check. Question was, who would want to play with some pretty things and who would want to get shot up?

It wasn't a difficult decision, after all. Aside from the one in the front engine, all fifteen men crammed themselves up the steps of the car and filed in, one after the other. Hoots and whistles of approval were the only sounds for several moments, and then there was silence while they were apparently having fun. The engineer fiddled with the neck of his jacket and rubbed at the stubble on his cheeks. The lone outlaw tore his gaze from the engineer to crane his neck to see if he could somehow get in on the action. Poor kid.

Several more minutes passed, and then a shrill whistle cut through the silence. The engineer grinned at the man, shaking his head. 

"Sorry about this," he muttered. He quickly reached out, snatching the gun right out of the kid's hands, and then hit him over the head with it, all in one fluid motion. The bandit fell to the floor, and the engineer pulled the kid's belt off and hog-tied him with it.

Zangulus tore off the engineer's jacket and hat, and stepped off the engine gratefully. He was glad he had his hair back in a loose ponytail. It was so damned hot in there! Waiting for the others, he fished in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette that he had rolled earlier on the train. He stuck it in his mouth and lit it, taking a nice, long drag. Damn. Maybe he was getting too old for this. He should probably just find a nice girl and settle down somewhere.

Before long, Gourry, in a very poorly fitting dress, jumped down from the back of the car and spat before trudging up to where Zangulus was waiting. He was in an obvious rush to get away from the next person who got off the train: Lina. 

"Aw, come on, Gourry! It's not that bad!" she tried to say with a straight face as she followed him. She was failing badly.

"Forget it, Lina," he yelled, pulling the pink dress over his head and tossing it behind him. Without her trademark duster and vest, and actually wearing a skirt, Lina was quite pretty, with those large ruby eyes and her long flowing red hair. She easily caught the discarded dress and kept laughing at her friend's discomfort. Clad in his long johns and trousers, Gourry pushed past Zangulus and rounded the front of the train, Lina close on his heels.

"That's the last time I EVER dress up like a woman again!" he ranted, still on his pointless journey circling the train. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Oh, Miss Lina's right. It wasn't that bad, Gourry," Xelloss piped in from the steps of the car. He actually fit into one of Filia's red dresses, and had yet to remove his costume, hiding his face demurely behind an open fan.

"You weren't the one kissed by a guy!"

"Huh. You've got a point." Xelloss closed the fan and returned to the car to change back into his normal clothes, all the while grinning at Gourry's misfortune.

"Gourry!" Lina said, finally catching up to him. She dashed in front of him and placed both her hands on his chest to stop him. "Come on. What else could we do? At least this time, I didn't have to derail the train."

"Thank goodness for small favors," Filia's exclaimed, her voice drifting from the window above them.

"How're you doing in there, Filia?" Lina called up to her.

"These guys aren't going anywhere, Miss Lina. Miss Martina and I have just tied up the last one," was the answer back.

"See Gourry?" Lina soothed, trying to hide her smirk. "No one got hurt, and now we can find out more information from these guys. Your sacrifice won't go unacknowledged, so buck up and take it like a man!"

"Take it like a man?" He considered her words with a dubious expression. As she opened her mouth to answer, his hands closed around her arms, and he pulled her to him. "Like this, Lina?" he murmured before pressing his lips gently, but firmly, to hers.

Lina's eyes opened wide in shock when Gourry kissed her, but before she could figure out whether or not to be angry or relieved, he pulled away from her. Blinking a couple of times in surprise, she merely turned away and walked off, as if nothing happened.

"Maybe you needed to kiss her harder," Zangulus muttered, and Gourry glanced back at his rival, who had followed them and witnessed the whole thing.

"Maybe I should have," Gourry thought aloud, watching Lina toss the dress onto the train before rounding up several horses. He had fully expected to be punched or even shot for kissing her, but her non-reaction was worse than either of those outcomes.

"Come on. You can think on it later." Nodding his head, he followed Zangulus into the train car to put their regular clothes back on.

After questioning several of their captives, Lina was satisfied with her next course of action. Apparently, Amelia and Zelgadiss were in more trouble than they thought. The Tatums were under orders to bring them alive to The Big S Ranch on the other side of the Great Salt Lake, but for what reason, they had no idea. There was nothing out there but desert. Also, they had been under orders to kill Lina and her friends, and that, more than anything, made her want a piece of this Rezo person.

Lina began yelling orders when everyone assembled outside, including the engineer, who had hidden beneath one of the seats during the failed attack. Filia, Martina, and Xelloss were surreptitiously watching Lina and Gourry with expectation. Apparently, Gourry's kiss had not gone unnoticed.

"We're going after Rezo," she declared to the group. "His first mistake was messing with my friends. His last mistake was messing with me."

She stepped over to Xelloss and Filia. "You two are going to stay with the train. Help the engineer get the cars back on the train, and then see these crooks to the proper authority in the next town."

Xelloss whined, "You brought me in on this thing to fight, Miss Lina, not to baby-sit some washed-up group of outlaws."

She rounded on him quicker than he was ready for, and she squeezed him in a tight headlock. "Xelloss, you're the one who pulled the pin on the stupid cars. You're the one who needs to fix it! Now go with the damn train before I decide to shoot you!"

When she let him go, Filia placed a hand on his to keep him out of more trouble with their friend. He sniffed in indignation. "Well, I'd rather stay comfortable on the train than get all sore and dirty riding across the country to find one person anyway." 

"Martina, you go on the train with them as well."

"Wh…"

"And don't you dare ask 'why!' I'm in a mood to shoot something right now. Just give me a reason!"

Zangulus wisely stepped forward to speak to Martina quietly, hoping to convince her to get on the train and remain safe, especially from Lina. Martina was all ears for his deep voice and kind words, and she allowed him to lead her away, which left Lina and Gourry. The hotheaded young bounty hunter regarded him blankly for a moment, before ordering both him and Zangulus to ride out with her within the hour. She was gone before anyone could say anything else.

******************************

She hated these borrowed horses. Of course, it wasn't their fault that they had villains for owners. She just couldn't wait for the train to come back with her own palomino Dragon, so these guys would just have to do. Damn.

She hated this journey. After days of riding and tracking, they still hadn't found any sign of their friends or the people after them. She had expected to find a straggler out here, or maybe even Zel or Amelia, but they hadn't seen anyone. Damn.

She hated the company. Zangulus was a welcome addition, but unwelcome in his silence. The damned man only conversed with Gourry, and since Lina wasn't talking to the taller man, that left her by herself the majority of the time. Used to talking constantly and having people listen, she was hardly enjoying the quiet time. Damn.

She hated thinking about things she had no business thinking about. Of course, the kiss was all she could think about, aside from getting to their destination on time. Why the hell did he have to pick now, of all times, to go and destroy the delicate balance that they shared? She didn't have time for this, and neither did he. They couldn't think of themselves when their friends needed them to concentrate and think of a way to get them all out of this mess. Damn!

Lina just needed to forget that it happened so they could figure out how to take out Rezo and the Tatums, rescue Amelia and Zelgadiss, and go home. But the problem was that she _couldn't_ forget it, and it would creep up on her when she would least expect it. Like in brushing down her horse, she would think about what it would be like to brush the tangles out of his long hair. Or when she unfurled her bedroll, she would wonder if he would place his next to hers.

Why had he waited so long? And why did it take being kissed by a man for him to kiss her??? Did he just want to exert his manhood by kissing the first available woman? Or had he used that as the opportunity he needed? Damn him for confusing her even more!

Gourry rode several feet behind Lina, always watching her for signs of her disposition. It was something he was good at, always observing her moods and judging by the way she held herself or the way she talked whether or not it was safe to approach a particular subject. Now, though, he was having a difficult time figuring her out. Since he kissed her, she was a blank slate. When she looked at him, it was with no emotion. She hadn't addressed him directly, either. For the first time in years, he couldn't read Lina.

He wondered why he had never been able to work up the courage to kiss her before. Perhaps he was afraid that she would shoot him for trying, but apparently that wasn't the case. In fact, she was doing a pretty good job of avoiding him. Did that mean that she didn't want to have anything to do with him? On the ride, he would sometimes catch her looking at him, but rather than react, she would simply turn away without a change in expression.

Not used to taking command of a situation when Lina was around, Gourry finally figured that he needed to do so in this. He kicked his horse forward until he was shoulder to shoulder with her.

"Lina."

She kept staring at the horizon.

"Lina, are you mad at me?"

She refused to look at him. They rode on in silence. Zangulus, having seen Gourry finally get the nerve to talk with her, had ridden on ahead, leaving them alone. Gourry cleared his throat, and then plunged ahead.

"Well, I don't care if you hate me now. I'm glad I finally kissed you. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. If we're through after this, I understand, but I want you to know that I meant that kiss, even without all that other stuff."

At her continued silence, he figured that he might as well tell her everything.

"Some people have asked me why I've stayed with you for so long, especially with your temper." Her eyebrow twitched, and Gourry pressed forward, hoping to elicit more of a reaction, either positive or negative. "I've told them that it's because I'm your bodyguard, but I can't remember a time when you've needed one. You're the bravest, smartest, prettiest woman I know, and even though your chest is small, you're perfect for me."

Lina pulled her horse to a stop, and Gourry brought his mount around to face her. Her face was shadowed by her bangs, and he edged forward until he was beside her again. Reaching out a hesitant hand, he pushed aside her hair, but she quickly latched onto his wrist and yanked his hand away.

Smack! Her free hand cracked him across the face, leaving an angry red mark on his cheek.

"That's for saying that my chest is small!" She was glaring at him, her eyes alight with her inner fire.

Smack! 

"And that's for not doing anything about it sooner!"

Gourry blinked. At least she didn't shoot him. Her face was a mix of anger and frustration. Tears were welling up in the corners of Lina's eyes, and he couldn't quite figure out why she was crying. Lina hardly ever cried, in all the time he had known her, and it actually frightened him that she was doing so now.

"Lina, why are you crying?" he asked, ignoring the potential danger of the comment.

She wiped at her eyes furiously with her sleeve. "I'm not crying, you moron!"

He reached over and pulled her hands away from her face. With surprising tenderness for someone so large, he wiped at the tear tracks on her face. "Am I making you cry?"

"Don't be stupid," she whispered, not realizing that she was leaning into his hand. Gourry leaned forward, and he saw that the fire was still in her eyes, but it wasn't anger anymore. He knew what it was. This time, when he kissed her, Lina responded, and he knew that there would be no way he could express the happiness he felt at that moment.

Lina didn't hate this journey anymore. 

She couldn't believe that he called her perfect. Aside from that one comment about her chest, but even that didn't bother her as much as it should have. She knew she was brave and smart and pretty, having described herself as the "beautiful bounty-hunting genius" on many occasions, but to have someone… to have Gourry say it was more than she had hoped for. She pulled away reluctantly, but her hand lingered on his face when she did. She could see the unabashed adoration in his face.

"My loyal, courageous, gentle Gourry." His smile brightened her heart, and she felt as if she could lose herself in his blue gaze…

"Hey, lovebirds!" Zangulus yelled, snapping them back to reality. They pulled away from each other, and Lina was sure her face was bright red with embarrassment. Gourry, however, just looked at his rival with curiosity.

"It looks like there's a group of settlers in trouble over the next rise. There're a couple of covered wagons being set upon by a few men on horseback."

Gourry and Zangulus looked expectantly to Lina, clearly awaiting her decision. Good. The delicate balance, although slightly altered, had been restored. Grinning widely, Lina checked that her guns were loaded and ready to go. Mirroring her smile, the two men did the same, and then kicked their horses forward, following their intrepid leader into battle.

As Lina and the men crested the rise, the scene before them did not look good. It appeared that the covered wagons were badly outnumbered as eight men rode in circles around the camp, shooting every now and again at the two stationary wagons. From this distance, it looked like two men and a woman were desperately trying to hold them off, but were failing.

Kicking her horse faster, Lina charged down the slope, Gourry and Zangulus close on her heels. Before their prey could react, Lina rode straight into the fray, shooting at the bandits and hitting one square in the chest. Gourry picked one off before he could fire upon her, and Zangulus was able to take out the one targeting his rival.

Three down, five to go. Should be easy enough, Lina figured as she aimed and took out another one. Four more to go. 

Fire unexpectedly erupted in her side, and she fell backwards off her horse, landing on the ground with a dull thud. She coughed, trying to catch the breath that had rushed out of her body. Flashes of light appeared in the corners of her vision, and she blinked several times to try to clear her head. Looking around, she saw the woman aiming a rifle at her.

"We're on your side!" she yelled, trying to scramble to her feet. Her hand pressed on her side, and she felt blood running down her back as well. The bullet must have passed clean through. 

"We're here to save you!" she tried again, biting out the words through the pain, but the woman kept her gun trained on Lina's head. Her gaze finally focused, and she realized that the woman was not a woman at all. A greasy-looking man in a loose dress and bonnet grinned, a toothless and heartless smile, and Lina suddenly realized her mistake. This wasn't a robbery. It was an ambush.

The sound of rapid gunfire filled the air as the side of the covered wagon was suddenly shredded, and the muzzle of a Gatling gun was pushed forward, issuing a lethal barrage of bullets into the skirmish. Lina's eyes sought out her friends, and she felt as if time slowed while she watched them fall victim to the evil thing. Zangulus was spun around when he was hit, but her blood went cold at the sight of Gourry's horse collapsing beneath him under the onslaught of gunfire.

Not caring anymore about what happened to her, she turned her back on the man with the rifle and ran towards the spot where Gourry fell, heedless of the fact that she was running into the line of the Gatling's fire. Two distinct shots rang out, and she felt a bullet whiz by her head, but her only thought was that she had to get to Gourry. Lina fell, her arm stretched towards the blonde hair spilling out from behind the fallen horse. The last thing she remembered when she hit the ground was the sound of Gourry calling her name in the midst of continued gunfire.

*************************

Zelgadiss never thought he would be glad to see another Tatum, but this one, riding into the camp, held vital information about someone important to him. If what the men in the camp were saying were true, then Amelia would be arriving soon, though not the way he would ever want. She had been captured as well.

He had been so stupid to think that she would be safer on the train without him. They had gone to the station together, but while the train was easing into Evanston, he gave her the sorry excuse that he had to make sure the horses got loaded on the train correctly and that he would join her inside. Of course, he had no intention of getting on the thing himself, and when he watched the train leave from the edge of town, he hoped that she would forgive him for deceiving her.

Only after those dim-witted men caught up to him a couple of days later did he discover that the train had been hijacked and that Amelia would be joining them shortly. He had spent the next days berating himself for being an idiot and a conniving jackass for doing what he promised Amelia he would never do: he left her. He would be lucky if she even wanted to have anything to do with him if they survived this.

"Jed!" the man yelled as he rode up, and an older, grizzled man stepped forward. He was probably the leader of this particular group, since he was the one who kept all the others in line. He had also ordered the men not to harm Zelgadiss, for which he was grateful.

"What is it, Gordon?" he asked in a gravely voice. He lit up a cigar and squinted up at the boy.

"The girl's gone." Jed's eyes flicked to Zelgadiss and back to Gordon, but Zel's attention was riveted to what the kid was saying. "Billy and the boys caught her before she got on the train, but I just heard that they're locked up back in town for kidnapping her, and no one knows where she is."

Jed threw his barely used cigar to the ground in disgust. "The deal was for _both _of them. If you don't find her, we won't get paid! Damn! What about them others? Did Emmett and the boys get to take care of them?"

Gordon looked even more nervous. "Uh, that's the problem, Jed. Emmett's group hit the train, but they all got caught 'cept Carl and a couple of guys. They're laying an ambush for her with the wagons."

"The wagons? We need to deliver those things to the Big S Ranch along with this guy here. Why'd they need to use those guns?"

"He needed it to deal with the group that's following him. He said it was the Bandit Killer: Lina Inverse!"

The old man appeared green at the thought of going up against someone as crazy as the Bandit Killer. The Tatums hadn't survived as long as they did by getting on the wrong side of the dangerous bounty hunters, much less with one as infamous as she was. Next to him, Zelgadiss chuckled.

"I can't believe that you didn't know whom you were dealing with here," he laughed, his wry sense of humor rising up to bait his captors. "Didn't you guys look into who you were fighting before you picked up your guns? You targeted Amelia Seyruun, the Bandit Killer's best friend."

"B… best friend?"

"Best friend and business partner. And knowing Lina, which I do very well, she doesn't take too well to people keeping her from her money. I hope for your sake that she doesn't catch up to you."

Jed was visibly shaking now, but his resolve did now waver. "Let's ride out, boys! We've got to get this guy to Rezo as soon as we can…"

"Rezo???" Zelgadiss almost yelled. His whole demeanor changed, his eyes betraying a sudden anger. The smirk suddenly disappeared from his face. "You're bringing me to Rezo?"

"Yeah, boy. He's paying us all three thousand dollars to bring you and the Seyruun girl, and to get rid of Inverse and her posse. After this, I think we'll just have to ask for more. Gordon, take a couple of men and go back to find the girl. Let's just hope that Carl and the others can take out Inverse with those Gatlings. And as for you, Greywords, we'll see what Rezo has in mind for you. Okay, everyone! Move 'em out!"

Zel rolled everything that he had just learned over in his head. They were taking him to the Big S Ranch where Rezo was waiting for him. It was good luck for him that he was caught, then. He could have ended up in San Francisco, searching for a man who was no longer there, but now, he was well on his way to getting his revenge. Lina and the others prevented a train hijacking, and were probably riding after them right now, but they were also riding into an ambush. If only there were a way he could warn them. 

And Amelia… No one seemed to know where she was, and out of everything that was happening, both good and bad, that was the one thing he could not accept. He was so close to his goal now that he could almost see Rezo before his very eyes, but the closer he got, the more his thoughts were on his love, somewhere out there, all alone.

***************************

"Miss Lina."

She shied away from consciousness, not wanting to face the reality of those final memories before she blacked out. No, she couldn't face a reality where she had just discovered something wonderful, only to have it snuffed out before her very eyes. A time would come for a reckoning, but it wouldn't be now. Not here, where she was safe in the darkness of…

"Miss Lina."

…in the darkness…

"Miss Lina."

…in the darkness of annoyance!

"What the hell do you want???" she yelled, latching onto the fingers that had been prodding her shoulder and frustrating her into wakefulness. Her hand instinctively went to her gun, but thankfully for the person who had been bothering her, it wasn't there. Opening her eyes, Lina groaned at the sight of the man who had awaken her.

"Xelloss."

"I'm glad to see you in the land of the living, Miss Lina," he said, delicately prying his fingers from her death-grip. "You looked pretty bad for a while, there, but I was finally able to get the bleeding stopped. I'm pretty sure the bullet missed any of your organs, but I'm not Filia, so I can't be certain. You really shouldn't move around too much for several days…"

Her mouth felt like she had eaten cotton, and to her relief, Xelloss offered her a sip of water from his canteen. She sputtered as she fought to swallow the cool liquid, but he stopped her before she could make herself sick. Turning her head and focusing on her surroundings, she saw, with surprise, that it was nighttime and that she was lying down next to a fire. The flames illuminated the two shot-up wagons and several horses nearby as well. They were still in the camp?

"How long have I been out?" she croaked out.

"A day and a half. Gourry was worried…"

"Gourry? Where is he? Is he alive? Is he okay?"  
  


Xelloss opened his violet eyes to regard her with amusement. "Yes, Miss Lina. He's doing just fine. He twisted his leg under that horse, but aside from a limp, he's virtually unscathed. Zangulus, as well. He got hit in the shoulder, but nothing too bothersome for him. You were injured the worst. I'd say it was lucky that the man used a rifle and not a shotgun, or you would most likely be dead right now, having been shot at such close range."

Apparently, she didn't seem to care about her own condition. 

"Where's Gourry?" she asked again.

"He's on watch. I don't think these Tatum friends of yours will take too kindly to the fact that they just lost their pretty guns."

Her eyes roved the camp, and she noticed that the two wagons had several holes in the intact side of the canvas covering, and for the first time since she had awoken, it occurred to her that a lot of action must have ensued after she passed out. Leave it to Xelloss to ride in to their rescue and kill all the bad guys in one fell swoop.

"What happened?" was her inevitable question.

"I did just as you asked, and got the train all nice and fixed. After it was ready to go, I rode out after you, though the girls were none too thrilled at the thought of being left out, especially Filia. I was able to convince her, in the end," he said with a smirk. Lina rolled her eyes. She didn't even want to imagine how he convinced her. To this day, she could never understand how that woman could stand him. 

"Thanks for bailing us out of a tight pinch, Xelloss. I knew I could count on you."

"That's what I'm here for, Miss Lina. Of course, taking out nine heavily armed men, both on horseback and with a couple of Gatling guns, as well as making sure you didn't die, is a little bit more than I expected on this trip. I take it if we all survive this, that I'll be appropriately compensated?"

"You want the Gatling, don't you?" She smirked, and at that sight, Xelloss inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Lina just wasn't Lina unless she was one step ahead of him and ready to make him aware of that fact.

"Well, I figured you might have already got your eye set on it, but there are _two_ after all…"

"Deal. It's the least I can do, right?"

He shook hands with her with a smile. "Good. Now, I say, we get these wagons hitched up at first light, and bring them right back home…"

"What are you talking about? We're still going after Zel and Amelia and Rezo. Nothing's changed. If I can't ride, then I'll stay in the wagon. Come on, what's riding into danger against a few dozen armed men, for such a talented and dangerous gunslinger like you, Mister Metallium?" Lina teased, and she knew she hit a chord. Challenge Xelloss on his gun handling, and he's a big pushover.

"Okay, Miss Lina. We'll do it your way, but I'm telling Gourry about this, and I'm not too sure he'll enjoy letting you out of his sight after coming so close to losing you."

She groaned. That was the last thing she needed on this journey. She was the invincible Lina Inverse, bandit killer and bounty-hunting genius extraordinaire! She didn't need to be coddled like some kind of infant. She would feel much better when she'd finally get a chance to shoot some bad guys. 

Xelloss slipped away, unnoticed, to retrieve Gourry. The man approached Lina, who was staring blankly at the fire. She had not heard him approach. He sat down behind her, and placed his hand gently on her forehead. She was shivering and had a fever, but he knew that she wouldn't let something like that keep her from her objective. 

"We'll leave in the morning, Lina," he whispered, and she murmured his name in response to his words. "And we'll continue on the way we were going, 'cause that's the way we need to go to catch up to Zel and Amelia, right?"

She turned her head to look at him, and he almost changed his mind about what they were going to do. Her face was pale, and she did not look like herself at all. But her eyes still held the spark that spoke more than words, and he smiled, despite his worry.

"That's one of the many things I love about you, Gourry," she mumbled as she closed her eyes with a smile. She was asleep in moments. Gourry merely smiled back, content to keep watch over the brave young woman with the unquenchable spirit that he loved so much. He gazed up into the night sky and wondered what the future held for them, if it held anything at all.

**************************

After days of riding, Zelgadiss had to keep his cool as they rode up to the ramshackle town near the lake. It was amazing that anyone in his right mind would live out here given the conditions. Situated between a vast desert and a huge salt lake, the inhabitants still tried to scratch out a living from of the dirt and the rocks that surrounded the dilapidated buildings. The only fresh water in the area was closely guarded and regulated by the nearby Big S Ranch, whose only commodity seemed to be the life-giving liquid. 

Zel had spent the last several days aching to just cut himself loose with his boot knife, as he had initially intended to do when he had first been captured, but when he discovered that the Tatums were actually working for Rezo, he decided to remain with them to discover as much as he could. There were no further reports of Amelia or Lina and the others, and to that, he wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried.

"We'll wait there," Jed ordered, eyeing Zelgadiss. "Little Joe! You and Billy ride on up to the ranch and see if Rezo's there. If he is, tell him we'll meet him in the saloon."

Two men nodded and rode away. As if narrating to Zel, Jed continued to talk. "I don't know why he wants you so bad, but you're worth all that money to him alive. If it were up to me, I'd have killed you a long time ago for what you did to my boys."

Zel shot him a dark look. "Your boys killed an innocent family and kidnapped my friend. Then they beat her father and killed those deputies. What would you have done if you were in our places, Jed? You order your family out to do all these things, and you don't expect retaliation? What's three thousand dollars compared to all those lives that were lost? What was it all for?"

Jed turned in his saddle and backhanded Zel across his face, knocking him off his horse. As Zel coughed, trying to catch his breath, the old man glared down at him. "What do you know, sonny? Have you ever been pushed off your land and forced into a life less worthy of the people around you? I've done things that would make you squirm, but it's always been for my family, and you've just gone and taken so many of them away from me! I ought to kill you right now, but I'd lose out on that money and make their deaths meaningless."

"It's always for money, Jed," Zel spat dust and dirt from his mouth. "And you know nothing of the people whose lives you destroy. Yes, I _do_ know what it's like to be pushed off my land, and I know what it's like to do things that I'm ashamed of, just so I can survive. If it was just about me, that's one thing, but it's not. You and Rezo, have destroyed too much. When it comes down to it, Jed, I'll kill you if I have to, with no regrets. I'm hoping you're a decent and a smart enough man to know when to stop the killing so more of your boys don't get killed before you do."

It was big talk, he knew, but he also knew that the old man was hurting. He knew without being told, that Jed was the head of the Tatum clan, and that he wanted the killing to stop. The man pulled his gun and pointed it at Zel's head, and for the briefest of moments, he wondered if he had been wrong about him. Then with a shake of the barrel, he motioned for Zel to get to his feet.

"You're walking the rest of the way into town, boy. Then we'll see if you still feel like flappin' your lips."

Zel glared back at him, but did as he requested. By the time they arrived at the edge of town, the sun was high above them signaling an approach to noontime. He was more tired than he wanted to admit, and he was grateful when Jed pushed him through the swinging doors and into the relatively cooler interior of the saloon. It was truly not what he had expected to see.

It was clean, bright, and well kept, nothing like the broken down facade outside. The bar on one side of the large room took up an entire wall, and the huge mirror hanging behind it had "Ruby Eye Saloon" etched into the glass. A large, curtained stage with several lanterns around its edge was against the back wall, and tables and chairs filled the floor space. But all this was not the amazing thing about it. The saloon was BUSY. Dozens of men and several women crowded into the place, playing cards, eating and drinking, laughing and carousing as if they hadn't a care in the world. A few looked up to regard the newcomers, but just as quickly, returned to what they were doing.

Zel was shoved from behind as Jed prodded him towards an empty table in the back, between the bar and the curtained-off stage. As they wove their way through the tables and the many people who pushed against him, a tall beautiful woman sauntered up and showed them to the table. She was dressed as many of the other women in the establishment, in a flashy black silk and lace dress that accentuated her ample bosom, and her long raven hair was piled up atop her head with several ringlets dangling down, framing her flawless face. She regarded them all coyly, but Zel got the distinct impression that she was really smirking behind the fan she kept opening and closing in front of her face.

"Y'all must be the boys that Rezo was waiting for. He told us to take good care of you and your guests." Her eyes searched the table as they sat down, landed on Zel and his bound hands, and then returned to Jed. "We were told that you would be having a young lady with you as well. Will she be joining you gents soon?"

Jed frowned, but tried to check his annoyance in the face of such a pretty woman. "Miss…"

"Lala."

"Miss Lala, she'll be coming later."

"Fair enough. Now what can I get you boys?"

"A bottle of whiskey and whatever you've got for lunch. For all my boys here." He indicated the dozen men who were sitting at the table and against the wall. He added with a grin, "And if you're free a little later, then we could do with some company as well."

"Ohohohohoho! You are such a tease, sir! I'll be back with your drinks. But watch out for our show later," she said, briefly catching Zel's eye as she looked back over her shoulder at Jed. "I think you'll like the new entertainment."

While the men around him were grinning and whispering amongst themselves about the good-looking women, Zelgadiss was staring at Lala. There was something about her that seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place it. And it was unmistakable that she was giving him some kind of message about the show. He wondered if Lina had somehow made it to town before he had and was planning something.

"She's out of your league, kid," Jed said, nudging him in the shoulder. The old man reached over and unbound his hands so he could eat. "A woman like that has certain… expectations from a man. And besides, I don't think you'll be alive long to enjoy a woman's company anyway, so eat up. It might just be your last meal. By the way, if you were thinking about escaping, forget it. Rezo owns the Big S Ranch, and you can be sure most of the people in this place work for him. The ones that don't work for him wouldn't think of crossing him, either. We like this town. It's a nice little hideout for people like us: bandits, outlaws, and thieves. We don't bite the hand that hides us."

The men behind him suddenly sat up straighter as another of the young women backed carefully towards them, dragging behind her a rolling cart filled with plates, spoons, and three pots of food. Zelgadiss' mouth began to water at the smell, and he, too eyed the approaching woman. Glancing behind her every so often to make sure she didn't hit anyone, she finally arrived at the table after playfully batting away groping hands along the way. Still facing the cart, she carefully served up a plate of mashed potatoes, beef stew and a hunk of bread, and then she turned around to set it in front of Jed.

She was a beautiful young woman, made even more attractive with the eye and lip makeup that she wore. The top of her full chest was exposed, and she had the same black hair and blue eyes as the taller woman, her smile just as coy. She served each of the men in turn, flirting with each, and getting very friendly with a few of them. She even sat on one man's lap and toyed idly with his greasy hair before jumping up out of the way when he reached for her rear end. Men flipped her coins that she caught easily, and she blew them all a kiss, tucking the money safely away in the top of her pink dress.

"What's your name, pretty thing?" The man she was flirting with, Gus, if he could remember correctly, was pawing at her.

"It's Lulu!" she said brightly, twirling a lock of her raven hair around her finger.

"Lulu's a pretty name…" He pressed his lips against her neck, and Zel almost reached across the table to kill him.

Zelgadiss fought to contain at first his surprise and then his anger while he watched the young woman flit from one man to the next, enduring all the groping and the touching. The smile that was on her face was both playful and disgusted, and he wondered how she could possibly subject herself to such debasing behavior. Unfortunately, he knew the reason why, but that did not make it any better.

"And you, young man, are the last, but _certainly_ not the least," she giggled, placing Zelgadiss' plate on the table and sitting in his lap as well. She placed one hand on his shoulder and slipped the other into his shirt, and Zel very nearly jumped out of his seat at her touch on his bare skin. Her chest heaved before his eyes as she laughed, and he tore his stare away from the enticing sight and tried to focus on keeping his face impassive. She whispered, barely enough for him to hear from her position, poised seductively on his lap, but his exceptional hearing picked it up easily, "Only eat the bread."

She hopped up, and flirting outrageously with one of the other men, she bade farewell to them all and swept her cart away. Again, Zel bravely suppressed the urge to scoop her up in his arms and make a run for the door, but there was a reason she was here, and if he blew her cover, then they would both die. Amelia was the last person he would ever expect to see in this place, and she was in a very dangerous position. He had hoped that she would be safe somewhere far away, but she had somehow turned up here.

"Hey, fellas. Looks like our buddy here took quite a fancy to the little lady over there," Jed joked, pointing out the fact that Zelgadiss was still staring in the direction that Amelia had gone. "If you thought the other one was out of your league, this one might be up to it. She seemed awful friendly with everyone here, didn't she boys?"

"I'm gonna see if she'd like to keep me company after dinner," Gus said with a grin. He began wolfing down his food, and the others soon followed suit, all but Jed. For some reason, the old man was content to drink his whiskey and let his boys eat. As directed, Zelgadiss picked at his bread, although his stomach was aching to eat the delicious-smelling, but surely toxic, food. Gus said something derogatory about Amelia, and Zel decided. When he began killing people, he was going to start with him.

As expected, when the men finished their food, they all began to make their way to the bar where Amelia had last been seen, until only Jed and Zelgadiss remained. Jed stood, indicating Zelgadiss to do the same, when Lala appeared on the stage next to them.

"Gentlemen," she said loudly, until the entire saloon slowly became silent, save for the clinking of poker chips and the tinkling of glasses. Jed returned to his seat, and Zel could do nothing but do the same. "And for your entertainment, the management is proud to present, all the way from San Francisco, the can-can girls!"

The curtains opened and Lala skipped back to join the two other women up on stage. All eyes were riveted to the three women, each one a vision of loveliness in this rough place. When the music started, they began dancing, slowly at first, showing only ankles and stocking clad calves. After a few minutes and several hoots and hollers, the girls began to lift their skirts and kick their legs higher, showing more and more leg, until finally, they were all kicking their feet up above their heads and showing off frilly panties, all with a shout of "Oh-la-la!" They continued the show, shaking their dresses, even lifting their skirts purposefully to show off as much as they could.

Every man in the saloon had their eyes glued to the show, and none of them noticed one young woman, who was serving the drinks, slowly make her way around the room, gently easing the guns from many of the men's holsters and depositing them into a sack, hidden in the folds of her skirt. Zel, although he had initially been entranced by the show as well, soon noticed what Amelia was doing, and she dropped the bag next to the bar beside him with a wink. 

Amelia stepped past Zelgadiss to make the rounds again, and she wondered if this charade of theirs would work, even though she had spent days plotting and figuring out all the angles. It had been simple enough in her mind. Sneak in. Wait for Zelgadiss. Sneak out. Of course, there were a lot of variables she didn't take into account, but that hadn't stopped her so far. Her mind recalled the events of the past several days, and the difficulties that she had been able to overcome.

Back in Evanston, after she had been pulled away from the train station at gunpoint and tied up in the back of a wagon, she pulled out the boot knife that Lina had made her wear after her run-in with Connor. Biding her time so she could learn as much as she could, she silently cut her way free. While the three men were not paying attention, she snuck up on them and cracked one across the back of the head with a rather heavy wooden box, blinded one by throwing dirt in his face before hitting him in the face with a piece of wood, and then held the last one at gunpoint. Tying them up and carting them off to the town Sheriff had been the easy part.

She had taken one of their horses and ridden off after the train upon hearing about its loud and vivacious occupant. Miss Lina was so close; she could get help and find Zelgadiss. By the time she had caught up to it, though, she discovered from both Miss Filia and Miss Martina that not only was Rezo behind everything, but also that the group had a confrontation with more Tatums earlier that day, and everyone had left to find Rezo at the Big S Ranch. A couple of days later, the three women had formulated a weak plan that was solidified upon finding that Amelia's sister, Naga, and a couple of her girls from the saloon were at the Kelton station. 

Apparently, their father had sent Naga a telegram to have Rezo picked up, and she discovered that he was leaving for Kelton that day. Without waiting for her baby sister to show up, Naga decided to try to get this bounty before Lina got to him. Then perhaps 'the Serpent' would be able to gain some notoriety, especially for nabbing the man who was her rival's target. Amelia shook her head at her sister's reasoning, but was grateful for her presence. Mimi's and Nene's company didn't hurt either, since they all were now dancing up a storm and keeping everyone's attention riveted to them. Now all she needed was for Filia and Martina to complete their jobs, and they could sneak Zelgadiss away.

As Zelgadiss' eyes followed Amelia's further progress, he was shocked to see Filia and Martina as well, in various parts of the saloon, all silently disarming as many men as possible. What in the world was going on? When did these two get involved, and where the hell did they come from?

"I've got to get back to work, silly!"

Zelgadiss didn't get another chance to wonder as his eyes were pulled back to Amelia who had been trying to get away from Gus, but this time, no amount of bantering got him to release her. She was doing a good job of keeping his hands tied up with her own, but as she scanned the room, looking for an excuse to get away, she suddenly froze. As quickly as her face betrayed her dread, she was smiling and sitting in his lap again, letting him whisper all sort of obscenities in her ear as she ducked her head against his.

Wondering what could have possibly scared her so much, Zelgadiss glanced towards the entrance, and his blood that had been boiling at Gus's treatment of Amelia immediately ran cold.

There he was, standing in the doorway.

_Rezo_.

To Be Concluded…

******************************

A/N: Only one more chapter to go! This was originally the huge monster chapter that wrapped up the story, but I decided to cut it in half for FF.net. The inevitable meeting and conclusion will be posted next week, along with more notes and comments. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed!

**Ishy-Chan **(Thank you so much! While Westerns can sometimes be cliché, reveling in all the old standards is still very fun. I'm glad that you think I'm doing a good job of keeping the Slayers IC in their new surroundings! ^_^),** Kaeru Shisho** (*hugs* I just loved writing Xelloss and Filia. He's so doting and yet so dangerous. Zangy seems to know his rival very well, and he's smart enough to know when to lay aside his grudge and fight alongside him. I'm glad that you think I'm doing a good job. This story is so dear to my heart that I might just think about side stories… Hmm… ~_^ Thank you again!),** Valk **(Hey, there! I hope you're enjoying! Okay, I have to admit that Amelia being Zel's bride was a plot device, but in the story, since I was trying to portray the 'gentler' side of a fierce tribe, the Crow were only nice to Amelia _because_ she was Zel's wife. Only Laughing Brook knew the truth, but she was more accepting of Amelia than the others would have been if she was just a friend),** Ukchana **(Thank you! Wow. I guess that awkward sentence needed help. Maybe I'll go back and fix it later, after this… and _Lemonade_… and _Whaddya Mean…_ -_-; By the way, Xelloss was the figure that Gourry was watching, and as for the guy that Xel shot, only Filia – being a healer - had noticed that the suspicious man was shot. All the others were too intent on wanting to throttle Xelloss. So everyone found out when we did), **jesphoenix05 **(When you catch up, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! *hugs*)

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	6. Act 5 Part 2

Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.

**_Slayers: A Spaghetti Western_**

**Act 5**

**Part 2**

There he was, standing in the doorway.

Rezo.

He appeared as much as he had seven years ago, an almost ageless and gentle face, smiling despite his closed and blind eyes, with the same jingling spurs at his heels and the same accursed ivory-handled black colt at his hip. Not prepared for the sight of the one man who destroyed his life and who still caused him nightmares, Zelgadiss found himself gaping, moving his mouth wordlessly. 

Jed, noticing that his charge wasn't watching the show, turned around to find out what the kid was looking at. Upon seeing Rezo, he raised his arm to signal the man's companion, a pretty young woman who was always by his side. She saw Jed, and with a light touch on his arm, led Rezo to their table. Zelgadiss was still watching him, but his eyes narrowed upon seeing the man's escort. When the newcomers finally joined them at the table, Zel was itching to pick up that sack of guns and just start shooting. Eris whispered something to Rezo, and he smiled.

"So, you say your name is Zelgadiss Greywords, do you?" He asked in a smooth voice as they sat, waving over a girl to serve him. "I find that very interesting."

Amelia breathed a sigh of relief when Filia rushed over to wait on them. She was still trying to fight off the man's advances, but he had already succeeded in groping her chest and grabbing at her bottom. She bore it admirably and tried to concentrate on listening to the conversation just a few seats away. Zelgadiss kept glancing her way every so often, and she silently willed him to stop. She would be fine as long as he kept his attention on Rezo, and that way, she would be near enough to protect him if needed. Now if only the stuff that Filia put in the food would kick in and get rid of these men.

Filia took Rezo's order and trotted away to the bar, giving everyone a worried glance beneath her smile. Zelgadiss was only slightly comforted by the fact that the women were there. He'd feel much better if he were alone, but at least Amelia was nearby, even though she was getting felt up by that guy. He was going to fill that man so full of holes when he got the chance, but he fought down the impulse to rescue her. Zel tried to keep his attention away from Amelia since Rezo still appeared to be waiting for an answer.

"What's interesting about it?" he spat out, trying to focus on the man before him.

Rezo smiled when Filia returned with his drink and then floated away. He took a delicate sip of the liquid before smirking. "I heard somewhere that the Greywords family died a long time ago."

Bastard. 

"Yeah, I suppose you _heard_ it, since you couldn't _SEE_ it," he retorted.

"You insolent…!" the woman began, but Zel cut her off.

"And you, Eris. I should have known that you would follow Rezo around like the lost bitch that you are, since you had followed him around in town. What did he promise you? Half of everything?"

She began visibly shaking, but Rezo placed a calming hand on hers.

"My dear, he's baiting you. He's trying to get you to say something that will incriminate us. Don't give in to his cheap bounty-hunter tactics. If he is who he says he is, though I highly doubt it, then he's living up to the Greywords name."

Zelgadiss bristled at the comment. Even now, after all this time? The damned sick bastard. He drew all the strength he could muster in order to delve back, and finally voice the sorry events of his life to the man responsible for it all.

"Why do you doubt it, Rezo? Because there were three graves? You're right. The Zelgadiss you knew died the day you killed my parents, and I buried them next to my own rock-filled grave. You can't see the monster that you've created, burned and scarred, full of vengeance and hate. A Greywords didn't do this to me. Perhaps I should have taken _your_ name, to better live up to your reputation, _Grandfather_."

The room became strangely quiet at his comment, and it occurred to him that everyone had been listening to their conversation. His eyes glanced about the room, and all eyes, even the piano-player and the dancers, who merely looked curious at the lack of attention, were upon him and Rezo. Eris stood and slammed her hand on the table and glared at everyone, scaring them into returning to their business. In the meantime, several of the patrons quickly slipped out the door, clutching at their stomachs.

"How dare you insult Rezo like this?" she seethed, settling back into her seat.

"Oops," Zelgadiss said without a trace of humor. "Sorry, Rezo. I guess I spilled the fact that you killed your only daughter and her husband, and that you tried to kill your own grandson. Does she know the reason why you did it? Or do I need to elaborate?"

"No need to elaborate, boy," Rezo finally answered, no longer smiling. He was drumming his fingers on the table and, if he weren't blind, would be glaring at Zel. "It seems that you and a young lady friend of yours have been causing me much trouble. Now that I have you, what do you propose we do about this?"

Jed, who had been uneasily watching the two men, opened his mouth to put in his two cents. "I don't care what you do, so long as I get paid. The deal was for this one and the girl. She's on the way, but he's here now. For all the boys I've lost, the price goes up. Three for this one alone, two more for the girl."

While Rezo considered his offer quietly, Eris watched Jed and the people behind him. For some reason, the saloon was emptying out quickly, and she was becoming suspicious. Her gaze swept the room, and it landed on one of the new girls. The man who had been fondling her suddenly jumped up as well and ran for the exit, looking as nauseous as the others who were departing, leaving the girl to readjust her clothing. She appeared nervous and embarrassed, and she quickly fled to the bar to wipe several glasses clean. This young woman seemed so familiar. 

And then it occurred to her.

Eris stood and strode over to the girl. Her suspicions were confirmed when Zelgadiss yelled from behind her, "H… hey, where are you going, Eris? Shouldn't you wait for Rezo's ruling? I thought he was the brains and you were the enforcer…" but she paid him no heed as she continued on her way.

Amelia should have just slipped out the back door when she had the chance, but her sense of honor wouldn't allow it. Not only was Zelgadiss in a bad situation, but Martina and Filia and Naga were in there as well. She couldn't let anything happen to any of them since it was her fault they were all there in the first place. 

"Girl."

Amelia kept her head about her and continued to clean the glasses on the bar. She wouldn't know whom this woman was addressing. If she could make her way to the kitchen, she might be safe. She finished up and slowly began to edge towards the kitchen door.

Click.

"Miss Amelia."

Too late…

Zelgadiss watched on in worry as Eris stalked Amelia, until she finally pulled a gun on her and called her by name. This was getting worse and worse by the second. Amelia dutifully held her hands to the sides as Eris walked her to the table at gunpoint. Still pointing her pistol, she stepped back to rejoin Rezo.

"Gentlemen, I present Amelia Seyruun. And since I was the one who found her, Jed, you don't get any of the money offered for her."

"What? What she did to my boys…"

"Is inconsequential, Mister Tatum. You're being well compensated for bringing in Greywords. Be happy that we're not charging you for your stay here."

Sensing a fight brewing, Zelgadiss decided to goad them into continuing the frustrating haggling. "This is your hospitality? I think this place poisoned all of Jed's men. They went running out the door, grabbing at their guts. I don't know, Jed. Seems to me like you're getting the raw end of the deal."

"You shut up!" Eris yelled, easily seeing through his plan, but the Tatum took the bait.

"How many of your people died, Rezo? I lost over twenty of my boys…"

"Who killed them, Mister Tatum?" the blind man wondered innocently.

"Well… this one and his friends."

"Then who should you be angry with?"

Jed Tatum, although a shrewd person, was also a family man who had just lost a lot of kinfolk. Until this point, he had reasoned that his family's troubles and losses would be worth it if they could just get the money that had been promised to them. A simple job had become increasingly complex, all because these two kids decided that they weren't going to let them get away with it.

Amelia, sensing the man's indecision, and understanding Zelgadiss' intentions, decided to try a different tactic, one that she was good at, but one that she couldn't be sure would work. 

"But whose order was it to come after us? Whose order was it in the first place to murder those poor innocent folk? If he," she pointed at Rezo accusingly, "hadn't come to you with that unconscionable proposition, no one would have died that day! His unjust actions have wiped out families and were threatening to do the same to yours! What makes you think he cares about what happens to the Tatums, or anyone for that matter, when he obviously didn't care enough about his own family? What kind of righteous man…"

Bang!

Zelgadiss' mind couldn't understand what was happening. Eris was standing there with a smoking gun, and Amelia was suddenly falling backwards. The seemingly slow processes of his brain barely registered him throwing out his arms to catch her as her legs gave out beneath her. With one arm supporting her back, he lowered her to the ground, cradling her gently and wondering why her pink dress was steadily growing a darker shade of red. The look of shock on her face mirrored his, though he didn't feel anything.

"Amelia! Amelia!" he heard himself saying.

She clutched desperately at his sleeve, trying to smile, despite the obvious pain she was in. There was blood everywhere, and somewhere, in the deep recesses of his mind, he could hear the haunting jingle of spurs.

"I'm okay," she choked out, and blood dribbled from her painted lips, staining them even redder. "I'm… o…kay…"

She became limp in his arms, and her half-closed eyes rolled back in her head. Zelgadiss lowered her to the floor with tenderness and care, and he sat back on his heels, staring blankly at the beautiful young woman, lying there in a growing pool of blood. A blonde woman appeared in his field of vision, trying to attend to her, yelling something to someone about getting her bag, but he paid her no heed. All he could see was the face of his lovely, his beloved, Amelia.

"Wait for me," he whispered to her before standing up to face Rezo, Eris, Jed, and about a dozen men, who were all waiting for him to make some kind of move. Something about a bag…

Zelgadiss was actually smirking, despite the circumstances. If he had to thank Rezo for something, it would be for doling out tragedies in his life left and right. Having been hell bent on getting revenge for the last seven years, Zelgadiss thought he knew what his life was all about. It had been so cut and dry: kill Rezo. Little did he know on that fateful day, four years ago, when he walked into the jailhouse in Rock Creek, that the young girl who greeted him would not only change his entire outlook on life and give him a reason to live, but that she would ultimately be the one reason he needed to carry out his life's ambition.

"Anyone who doesn't want to die today better clear on out of here," he bit out, and with those words, the enormity of what had just occurred finally hit him. Amelia was… All he could see was blood everywhere, and he knew that he would be the one doing the killing today.

"I have several options here," he continued, slowly stepping away from Amelia's body and ignoring Filia's and Martina's frantic scrambling above her. He placed his hands on the table. With a cold grin, he stared straight into Eris' eyes, boring into her head and conveying his full intentions. "But none of them are quite as good as killing you right here and now."

With amazing speed and strength, Zelgadiss upended the heavy table and pushed it towards his three captors, who only barely backed out of the way. He dove for the bag of guns and jumped behind the bar. The bartender wisely went running the other way to safety.

"Girls, get down!" Zel yelled, as he reached into the bag and began pulling out the pistols and shooting. 

He hit Eris in the arm and winged Rezo before a barrage of gunfire tore into the bottles of liquor on the counter behind him, showering Zelgadiss with broken glass and liquid as he retreated down below the bar. He covered his head and face, and when the firing waned, he returned fire, hitting two men between the eyes and another in the chest. 

Throwing down the spent guns, he picked up two more, and tucked them into his waistband. He paused for the briefest of moments as something suddenly occurred to him, and then he grabbed two more of the guns. Popping back up, he shot two more men who were stupid enough to reload out in the open, but before he ducked back down behind the bar, he saw Eris leading Rezo out a side door.

_No_! He couldn't just let them escape after all that they've taken from him! He refused to allow his eyes to wander back to the corner where Filia and Martina were huddled over Amelia's body, and he rushed to the other side of the bar, picking up a shotgun behind the counter. The large mirror above the bar exploded with a huge crash, and Zel narrowly jumped out of the way of getting impaled by the giant shards of glass as they fell.

He landed on the floor with nothing to offer cover, and he overturned the nearest table to hide behind. Checking to make sure it was loaded, he thrust the barrel of the shotgun over the top of the table without looking and pulled the trigger. With grim satisfaction at hearing groans and screams, he pointed it in the other direction and pulled the trigger yet again, and then tossed the spent shotgun aside. More moans ensued, but when he popped his head around the edge of the tabletop, a bullet whizzed by his ear, and he ducked back behind the table, which was suddenly peppered with bullets. Checking the other side, he was again riddled with shots.

"_I'm going to kill all of you!!!_" Zelgadiss' guttural scream of frustration at being kept from his prey was suddenly answered by a sudden silence and a hiss, followed by a deafening explosion.

The table blew back on top of him, shielding him from the blast. Before the dust could settle, several shots rang out, and then it was strangely silent. Still feeling the madness enveloping his mind, Zelgadiss threw the table off of him with an inhuman effort, bringing his guns around to face the room, ready to kill anyone in sight.

"I'm afraid your fight is elsewhere, my friend," someone said in the clearing smoke. A man stepped forward and pointed to the door, and deep down inside, Zelgadiss recognized him, knew his name and knew him as a friend, albeit a tentative one. Without wondering at his presence or worrying about what happened to anyone else, Zel ran out of the door and headed off in the direction Rezo had disappeared.

Xelloss tried to smile, knowing that his quarry would not escape him this time, but seeing the dead look in Zelgadiss' eyes, he knew that something had not turned out the way it should have. It was a look of deadly resolve and insanity; something was broken in the young man. With a shake of his head, he turned back to the room and idly shot anyone who pulled a gun on him. Xelloss wandered through the wreckage of the saloon, searching for the one man he had been sent to find.

A moan drew his attention while he reloaded his twin pistols. Snapping the cylinder back into place, he approached the old man, pinned beneath a heavy table, in obvious pain. Xelloss brought his gun around and aimed, right between the man's eyes.

"I've been looking for you, Jed Tatum," he said simply, as if he was ready to talk about the weather. The old man's eyes widened as he recognized, not Xelloss' face, but his gun, distinctive in its strange red inlays on the barrel. He coughed up blood when he tried to speak, and Xelloss pressed his boot to his chest. "You've caused a lot of people a lot of problems, but not just Zelgadiss and Amelia. I've been sent to find you…"

"Xelloss?" came a voice from the corner. He opened an eye and glanced over, and with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he saw Filia and Martina, leaning over the bandaged, but blood-soaked body of… Amelia?

"What happened?" he asked, not removing his foot from Jed's chest. He continued to gurgle up blood.

"She's been shot! We need your help!" Filia was almost in hysterics, and he knew that if she was worried about a patient, then it must be bad. 

He glanced down at Jed Tatum, and saw that the man was not going to make it out of this place alive. His face was ghastly pale, and the foam at the corners of his mouth was tinged with blood. He should just put this man out of his misery and complete his mission…

"Xelloss!" Filia pleaded, bringing him back to reality. He pressed harder on his chest, causing Jed to go into fits of coughing.

"You're lucky fate found you before I did. Zelas wants you dead for some reason, and you'll die today, Tatum, but not by my hand," he ruled, backing away from him. He turned his back on the man who was choking on his own blood to attend to the women in the corner who needed his help.

*****************************

When that woman shot Amelia, Naga merely watched on in horror, unable to do anything. She couldn't scream. She couldn't run to her. She couldn't help. It was like watching her mother die in front of her all over again. The man, who Amelia had described to her as Zelgadiss, didn't seem to react to her bleeding all over him. But when she saw his eyes, she knew that he felt what she was feeling. Loss, anger, frustration, emptiness.

When the shooting started, she and the girls ducked into the back room, but she kept her eye on what was going on in the saloon. The woman and the blind man disappeared, and Naga slipped out the side door, ready and waiting on the walkway for the moment the two would arrive. They appeared, the woman clutching at her arm and trying to lead Rezo to safety. Not caring anymore about the bounty, Naga walked right up to them, pulling her tiny pistol from the tiny holster strapped to her upper thigh, and pressed it up to Eris' side.

"This is for my baby sister."

Naga pulled the trigger twice before Rezo backhanded her into the street, but the damage had been done. Eris fought bravely to stand, and with a supporting hand from the blind man, they hurried away. The man paused for a moment, and with his free hand, drew a black colt with an ivory handle and pointed it at Naga. She looked up in a daze, and found herself staring down the barrel of his gun.

An explosion rocked the saloon, and with a cock of his head, he put the gun away and hurried Eris down the street and out of sight. Naga shook her head to clear it, and after several moments, pulled herself shakily to her feet. She had to get back inside to Amelia. Her sister was dying.

As she stumbled down the walkway, someone appeared in front of her and clutched at her shoulders, suddenly shaking her. Wild aquamarine eyes were looking at her with fierceness and something, perhaps longing, but it was gone before she could react.

"Where did they go?" he demanded, and it was then that she realized it was Zelgadiss. 

She raised a trembling hand to point to the spot where she had shot Eris, and a trail of blood that led down the walk. Zel shoved her away and followed the drops of blood, like breadcrumbs leading the way home. His eyes only on the red splotches on the wood and the dirt, he cared nothing for anything around him. That woman, who looked so much like his beloved Amelia, was almost too much for him to handle, and he focused all his attention on finding Rezo.

A shot hit the dirt at his feet, and aiming his gun in the general direction of the shooter, he pulled off a shot. Without waiting to see the man fall off the roof, he kept on walking, a man possessed. Someone was stupid enough to step out in front of him with a gun, and Zelgadiss passed his body as it slumped to the ground, a bullet hole straight between his eyes. 

A man stepped out of the alleyway, and with cold realization, Zel saw it was Gus. The man was pulling his pants up, and was wholly unprepared for meeting with this armed killer. Without warning, Zel shot the man in the foot and again in the hand when he reached for his gun. He shot his knee and then pointed at his greasy face.

"This is for putting your hands on _my_ woman," he growled as he pulled the trigger, and Gus collapsed back into the alley, twitching. With a harsh smile, he tossed aside his gun and took the dead man's pistol before continuing down the walk. When he turned the corner, the ground erupted in plumes of dirt as several shots missed their target.

Finally assessing the situation, Zelgadiss stepped back behind the building. They had set up a gauntlet down this street. His keen eyes had spotted several men lining the street, and Rezo, hobbling with Eris, was all the way at the far end of town, getting on a stagecoach. He'd be damned if he was going to let that bastard get away now!

As he stepped back out into the street, the sound of hoof beats behind him gave him pause, and turning around to aim at the newcomers, he paused at the sight of long red and blond hair in the back of a wagon. A strange man was manning the reins while Lina and Gourry were in the back, each manning a Gatling gun on either side of the wagon. With a wild hoot from Lina, they thundered past him and straight down the street, and a high-pitched whistle could be heard above the din of rapid gunfire tearing apart the town. Zelgadiss followed, his stride purposeful, his aim deadly, as he picked off the remaining stragglers who had either evaded the devastating attack or had been injured. 

Picking up pistols and rifles as he went, Zelgadiss had become a walking force of destruction, and no one was safe from his quest for revenge. The wagon had circled back and was riding back into town, ready for the next round, but to Lina's disappointment, there was no one left to kill. Zangulus pulled up beside him, but Zel ignored them and continued on. They all began to yell at him, but it was Lina's voice that finally broke through the haze that had settled over his mind.

"Hey! What happened? Zelgadiss, where's Amelia?" He stopped and turned around to face them. From only a few feet away, he could hear her suck in a breath at the sight of him, covered in blood.

"Amelia… Amelia's…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't say that she was dead, although the emptiness at his core told him that it was true. The anguish he felt had made him numb and cold inside, but a tiny flutter of emotion danced at the edge of his heart. He pushed it aside and answered her. "Amelia's in the saloon."

With that, he turned away and picked up a fallen man's rifle, and then headed towards the nearest horse at the tie rail. He yanked the lead away from the bar with a snap, and quickly mounted the horse. Lina's voice, yet again, held him in place.

"If she's there, where are you headed? What's going on?"

Without turning around, he merely shook his head and kicked his horse forward; following the retreating dust cloud in the distance, signaling the direction his prey had fled. His single-minded determination pushed him forward despite everything that had occurred. Lina would learn soon enough the fate of her best friend. She would also learn how he had failed the woman he loved. The quiver of devotion again fought its way into his heart, but he couldn't understand why her sacrifice had happened the way that it did. He was alive, but so was Rezo, and as she had said, Rezo was the one who was ultimately responsible for everything. Pushing his poor mount as fast as it could run, he chased after the stagecoach.

It appeared in the distance, and he asked the horse for anything else it could give him. It responded with a burst of speed, and they quickly gained on the lumbering coach. When the vehicle was within range, Zel raised his rifle, keeping it steady by moving with the horse as it stretched and pulled beneath him. He fired, and quickly controlled the spooked horse as it veered away from the startling noise. On the stagecoach, the driver slumped over in his seat, and the reins flew free from his hands.

Kicking the horse forward, Zelgadiss rode up beside the coach and emptied the rifle into the windows. Tossing the rifle aside, he pulled his pistols and edged closer until he was close enough to make a daring leap. The tiny step below the door was the only thing he could land on, and without further thought, he jumped. He was barely able to keep his footing and hold onto the doorframe as one of his guns went flying. The door was suddenly kicked open from inside, and Zel gripped the open door when his feet were pushed off the step.

He came dangerously close to the wheel of the coach, but after ditching his last gun, he succeeded in pulling himself up to the open door. With a mighty effort, he lunged inside, landing hard on the floor of the stagecoach. A gun clicked in his ear.

"I cannot believe it's come to this," Rezo said, over the thundering of the horses, running wild. Zelgadiss looked up at the man who was sitting quietly, with Eris' head on his lap. She was stretched out along the bench, and the cloth of the seat was stained deeply with her blood. Her eyes were open and unseeing, and with grim satisfaction, Zelgadiss realized that she was dead. He pushed himself up to sit on the opposite bench.

"Didn't you realize that there would be a day of reckoning, Rezo?" he asked, trying not to feel sorry for the man sitting across from him. His face was drawn and betrayed the man's own sense of loss. Something occurred to him, and he became angry instead. His hand slipped into his shirt. "You're sad that Eris is dead? Why? Why couldn't you feel the same about my mother? Didn't you love her?"

"Of course I loved her. She was the bright star in my dark life, and it killed me to do what I did."

Hot anger began to bubble up within him. "You lying bastard! Then why did you do it? You took her from me. You took everything from me! Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!"

"You don't understand…"

"How can I understand any of it? You killed them!"

Rezo suddenly appeared old, and something held Zel back from his tirade.

"You don't know what it was like, Zelgadiss. After the war, the government had no use for me anymore. I was a minister and a doctor, but they didn't use those talents. They needed my ability to kill. What was I supposed to do when I didn't know how to heal people anymore, when all I could do was sell my services with my guns? If you knew what it did to your grandmother to know that her husband was a murderer. I never wanted your poor mother to deal with any of that, but when she ran off with your father…"

Zelgadiss was suddenly fascinated about his past… their past, and he found himself listening, without regard to the fact that they were still bouncing along in a runaway stagecoach. A memory, a comforting voice, bubbled up in the back of his mind: 'Would you be able to live with yourself if you killed a reformed man?'

"Your father was a gambler and a killer, Zelgadiss. He was a man who, just like me, had killed many men for money and had enjoyed it. I know because he was one of my men."

"_Lies!_" he found himself yelling, heedless of the gun still pointed at him. "You lying pile of shit! My father was a good man!"

Rezo smiled. "Your father was good at double-crossing people. He didn't want to be under my supervision anymore, so he took you and your mother, and fled to Wyoming. I didn't know where you were for years until your mother finally got up the courage to write to me."

"About the green rocks," he found himself remembering, and the anger seemed to wane.

"Yes, Zelgadiss, about the jade vein that ran beneath your family's property. Of course, I was interested in it since I was a purveyor of rare goods, but when I arrived in town, your father refused to allow me to see you both. I had to use force, but by then it was too late."

"But you sent those men to… they hurt my mother!"

"They were trying to restrain her from going to your father."

"You _shot_ her! I saw you!"

"Yes, Zelgadiss." He sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. "Your mother was actually the one I feared would follow in my footsteps. Most women would cower in a corner, but she was MY daughter, sweet and caring, but she had a side to her that made her worse than any of my hired guns. I would rather put her out of her misery than let her live and dedicate her life to revenge against me… the way _you_ have.

"I left you to burn after I shot them both, because I didn't want you to fall victim to the same vicious cycle. It was supposed to end that day. The only one who should have carried this burden was me. Not the ones I cared for the most." 

"It wasn't your place to choose what was right for us!" Zel yelled, and he finally pulled out Amelia's tiny pistol and aimed it at his grandfather. She had furtively slipped the gun into his shirt when she sat on his lap in the saloon, and he held it in a trembling hand. The memory of her beautiful face and her stubborn nature, of her sweet smell and her lively personality, both comforted him and twisted his heart. She had loved him for who he was, both the good and the bad, and now she was gone. Tears were suddenly streaming down his face at the reality of what he had lost.

Looking up through his tears, he realized that Rezo was tenderly stroking Eris' hair, and a thought suddenly struck him. It was almost like gazing into a distorted mirror, warping the realities and tweaking the characters. He was looking at himself and Amelia, in the form of his grandfather and Eris.

"You can't decide who or what's best for someone because of what happened to you," he choked out between sobs. "It's unjust and unkind, Grandfather. Just because mother and father didn't fit into your world didn't mean they weren't happy. She kept telling me how much she loved her home and how much she love me and father. She told me that she was sad that you couldn't understand."

Zel leaned forward, his elbows on his knees with his head in his hands. It was over. 

None of it mattered anymore. Knowing Rezo's side of the story, he couldn't bring himself to kill him, no matter how much he thought he wanted to. No matter how much he tried to justify it to himself. Amelia's wishes had found a home in his heart, and her words finally made sense. Although he was still doing these horrible things, he couldn't bring himself to kill his kin for the crime of being deluded in the way he loved his family. He should face justice, certainly, but Zelgadiss wouldn't be the one to dole it out. 

"You're right, Zelgadiss," Rezo finally said, lowering his gun. "It's all… too much."

Although he couldn't see it, Zel nodded his assent. 'Amelia, I guess I'm learning how to forgive,' he thought to himself, and the thing that was broken inside of him began to mend.

The coach suddenly slowed, and Zel was glad that the horses had tired themselves out. He was about to look out the window when the coach took a sharp left and wobbled dangerously. It suddenly lurched and tipped over, slamming to the ground. The sound of snapping and crunching wood drowned out the yells of the two men trapped inside, as the coach skidded across the terrain, kicking up rocks and dirt into the compartment, before eventually coming to a rest.

The hitch broke with a loud popping sound, and the horses were finally free from the cumbersome thing. Zelgadiss opened his eyes and spat out the dust and dirt that had filled his mouth. He was getting sick of this.

"Stop. Don't move!" Rezo said, almost yelling it across the four feet that separated them. Zelgadiss froze, and for a second he wondered if he had been wrong about the man all along. When the world began to tilt wildly, he realized that it was because they were resting precariously at the edge of a cliff.

Strangely, though he had been ready to die with Rezo just minutes ago, he couldn't stomach the thought of leaving without gazing upon his love's face, one last time. He had come here to die, so he could follow Amelia, but he found that the seed of love and life that she had planted in his heart had taken root. Zelgadiss wanted to live.

Looking frantically around, he found that the stagecoach was upside down and he was on the side that was resting on the ground. Rezo, however, was somehow stuck in the doorway on the other side, his arm hanging outside. Well, this was an easy fix.

"Come this way," Zelgadiss told him, finding that rather than merely saving his own life, he wished to save his grandfather as well.

"I can't."

"What? Why? Are you hurt?" The man didn't appear to be injured.

"I can't let go, Zelgadiss. I'm not going to let go of her."

"What are you…?" 

Eris. Her body must have fallen out the door, and Rezo somehow caught her and was still holding on. Zelgadiss found himself saying, "Then let me help you."

Rezo shook his head. "Stay where you are. If you come any closer we'll all go down."

"Then let her _go_!" he tried, hysterically.

"It's over, Zelgadiss. Let it go. Let _ME_ go." Rezo opened his blind eyes, and dull aquamarine orbs stared sightlessly at Zelgadiss. "I'm sorry. For what I did to your parents, but mostly for what I did to you. Please forgive me, my grandson." 

At those words, said with care and warmth, the last vestiges of Zelgadiss' anger and vengeance melted away. It wouldn't bring them back, any of them, but perhaps he could still continue to live, for their sake.

"Yes, Grandfather," Zel choked out, and the smile that spread across Rezo's face was one, not of peace, but of acceptance.

An hour later, when Gourry and Zangulus had finally found him, Zelgadiss, dirty, bruised and bleeding, was sitting at the edge of a cliff, staring down at the stagecoach dashed to pieces, far on the bottom of the canyon floor. In his hands, he held a tiny pistol and an ivory handled colt. They didn't speak to him, knowing that he would explain everything in due time, but they led him back towards the horses. To his surprise, Lightning was waiting for him with Gourry's horse and another, and despite everything that happened, Zelgadiss smiled. They rode back to town in silence. Although he felt empty inside, Zel felt as if there were a part of Amelia within him, teaching him the value of forgiveness and saving him from himself.

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**Epilogue**

Zelgadiss rode across high plains, soaking in the gorgeous scenery around him. It was late summer, and almost a year had passed since the beginning of the chain of events that had led him on a journey that would eventually end his quest for vengeance. It was a long and difficult road, fraught with emotional revelations and heartaches, but one in which he had found redemption. 

The scenery became more and more familiar and welcome as he rode further east. He had been delayed a week in Carson City, speaking to the Indian Agent stationed there, to discuss the tribes in their overlapping territories. When all the smoke had died down, Marshall Phil had nominated Zelgadiss to the position of Indian Agent for his territory, quite an honor for Zel, and a great indicator of how the man felt about him. He couldn't thank Amelia's father enough for his kindness and generosity.

The Marshall had been able to tie thousands of acres worth of land across four states to Rezo, and since Zelgadiss was the closest living relative, he had become a rich man overnight, inheriting several properties like his parents' and the Coopers' that lay over a huge jade ribbon, snaking across the state. Zelgadiss, however, wanted nothing to do with any of it. It had all been obtained through horrid means, and he wanted no part of it. He legally signed over the land back to the counties, or in some cases, gifted it to the Indians who happened to be living in those lands. That made him some enemies among some townsfolk, but it earned him more friends in different tribes.

And with friends like Lina Inverse, he didn't have many enemies.

As he neared Rock Creek, he noticed some late-blooming flowers and bent low in the saddle to pick one as he rode by. The delicate white flower appeared so fragile, but he knew that it was strong, weathering many storms that would destroy a mighty oak. Holding it cupped in his hand, it reminded him of Amelia, not only in its beauty, but also in its strength.

The town was as it had always been, and the Inn remained a popular place to eat. Much to Lina's displeasure, Martina had squirreled away enough money that she was actually able to rebuild her church on the other side of town. That meant that she had settled in Rock Creek, and when she and Zangulus got married, they had the ceremony at the new church. As a wedding gift, Lina promised to be nice to the bride and cater the reception, but it could have been Luna's presence that prompted the redhead to be cordial with her.

Filia and Xelloss visited more often, and though they were settled and happy in the South, they usually spent the summer months in Rock Creek for the milder weather. Val was growing up quickly, and Filia had to confiscate many toy guns that Xelloss had given the boy to "get a head start" on life. It was strange to see the two taking such great care of their adopted child, each in his or her own way. Surprisingly enough, Val was going to be a big brother soon, as Filia and Xelloss were expecting their first child. Xelloss doted on Filia more than anyone would have ever expected, and she soaked it up, loving the attention.

Lina and Gourry had remained the town's deputies, and had therefore cut their bounty-hunting short. They couldn't really collect the reward money since they were the ones who paid out the rewards now. So, with the cutback of cash flow, Lina took to expanding the Inn and Dining Room. She was trying to figure out a way to work in a saloon into her long-term plan, but she would need Naga to go in on the venture, and the taller woman was still trying to find a buyer for her saloon in San Francisco. Of course, with the way Naga did business, they would have a buyer in no time. Gourry, content to cook, clean, or keep the peace, had found his ideal niche in life. Now only a year remained before he and Lina would get married. It had actually been his idea to wait until they got everything completed, and that had set the fiery young woman to pushing for the Inn, Dining Room and Saloon to be finished as soon as possible.

Zelgadiss dismounted Lightning and led her into the barn, but upon discovering that a stall was empty, he rode back out before anyone in town knew he was there. He rode north and then west, following a well-known trail across the landscape, letting his horse follow her nose and lead her to the one place in the world he wanted to be. The large willow tree loomed in the distance, and by the time they reached it, the horse slowed to a trot and whickered a greeting to her stall mate, Champion.

Amelia lifted her head at the sound of approaching hoof beats, and the smile that radiated from her face lifted Zelgadiss' heart in a way that only she could. He still believed it was a miracle, or the great spirits, or something equally unbelievable, but undeniably magical, that Amelia was alive today. He had felt her die in his arms, felt her breathe her last breath. She had been right in front of him, yet he couldn't feel her presence. But when he had returned to town with Gourry and Zangulus, Lina had been frantic enough to yank him off of his horse and drag him into a room where Amelia was barely clinging to life.

He remembered staring at her for hours and days, and his heart would leap each time he saw her hair flutter with a breath. One of the happiest days of his life had been the day she opened her eyes at last, and that glowing smile graced her features once more.

"What's that?" she asked Zel, pulling him back to his surroundings. He dismounted and walked over to her spot in the shade of the willow where she had spread out a blanket and was reading a book. Sitting down beside her, he opened his hand.

"A sego lily. These always remind me of you," he said, tucking it behind her ear. "They're purity and beauty. They offer life where there doesn't seem to be any. They're both delicate and strong. But as beautiful as they are, there's still something lacking about them."

Unsure if he was still referring to her, Amelia frowned. 

"Does that mean there's something lacking about me, too?" she asked playfully. After everything with Rezo, and after having spent the last year doing all the romantic things that she had dreamed of, taking long walks, having picnics, talking for hours, she had no doubt of his love.

Zelgadiss smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is." He laughed when her face fell, but when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, she let out a squeal of delight before quickly composing herself. He pushed himself up to kneel before her on one knee, and then took her hand, kissing it lightly.

"Five years ago, I met this awkward young girl. I was a complete ass to her, but she never wavered in her treatment of me. I didn't know what a wonderful friend and companion she was until circumstances brought us back together, time and time again. Each time I saw her, she became more lovely and lively, sensitive and stubborn. She slowly chipped away at the stone surrounding my heart, though I never realized it, and she showed me that there was more to life than living just to die. I didn't know what living was until you showed me. I found out that the heart that I kept in my chest was never mine to begin with. It was yours all along. You just found the way to it."

Tears were streaming down Amelia's face at his words. His heart swelled at the thought of what he was about to do, and he pressed forward.

"I can't offer you very much now, but by next year, Lina will have finished with her… well, our plans for the Inn and the Saloon. It's not anything that you don't already have, but it's what I can offer right now." He swallowed hard before continuing. "Amelia wil Tesla Seyruun, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses. They fell back onto the blanket, and she propped herself up on her elbows as she looked at him below her. "But you're wrong about one thing."

"What's that?" he wondered, too ecstatic for any words he could think of.

"You are offering me something I don't already have. You."

He smiled again at her stubbornness. "No, I was right. You've always had me, Amelia. And you always will."

Before she could object, he reached up and stroked her face softly, letting his fingers linger on her lips for a moment before pulling her to him. Zelgadiss had found his life in Amelia.

_The End_

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A/N: Howdy y'all! I hope you've enjoyed. What can I say? I'm an incurable romantic. ~_^ Even through all the headaches when I was writing this, it is very dear to me, so I am always open to the possibility of sequels or prequels, so keep your eyes out, just in case…

In doing research for this fic, I used many websites, most notably: www .angelfire .com/ mt/manycoups /index.html, cprr .org, civilwarmed .org, www .streetswing .com, www .state.wy .us, wyomuseum .state.wy .us,  www. Runningdeerslonghouse .com, www .indiansun .net. I make no guarantees or comments about the content on these sites. I merely found them useful, and would like to give them credit for doing all the research for me. Also, much credit is due to all the Westerns, both new and old, which inspired this fic. This takes place in Wyoming, which I've discovered held women's rights in high regard, and later in Utah, where the final few chapters occur. I've tried to remain fairly accurate with the placement and timing of all the events and characters, so any incongruities are most likely artistic license. Please forgive any ignorance with regards to people or places.

Special thanks to everyone who's read and even more to those who've reviewed! **Anonymous mystery guest** (Whoever you are, thank you! You're right. Although this does focus on Zel - and by default, Amelia since she's his main squeeze - it just isn't Slayers without Lina and company. I hope you enjoyed their reappearance and the whole story in general!), **Dark-Angel Ahria** (Wow, thank you for the praise! AU lends itself to exploring new ways of telling the Slayers story, but it can be difficult at times to pull off. I'm glad you like it. I didn't want to keep anybody hanging, but that was as good a spot as any to cut the last Act in half. I hope the finale makes up for it!), **Valk** (Ah, the things we do in the name of love and justice. ~_^ I really hoped you enjoyed this fic, and I'm glad that you've stuck with me through all of my ramblings! I know this one is complete, but there's all the other characters' stories that I only hinted at. I might be tempted to do a sequel or prequel here or there… ^_^ *hugs*), **Kaeru Shisho** (Ah, and it comes to a close. I've truly enjoyed this writing experience and the push to better myself. I really appreciate all your great input into the points that work and the things that make a story interesting to the reader. Thank you again a million times over, and if the offer to beta still stands, I might just take you up on it again, if the tumbleweeds decide to blow once more! *hugs*)

^_^ Adios, Cowboys and Cowgirls! It's been fun! ~J.Rhaye

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